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It's time again for some sword and sorcery fantasy adventures, Roger Corman style! It's Dave's pick and Chris' most hated genre of movies, but I think there are some aspects of this that may strike a chord. Directed by Jim Wynorski, screenplay by Neil Ruttenberg (bit of a Frank Dux level stretch that one), and starring John Terlesky, Monique Gabrielle, John LaZar, and Toni Naples. Promo for Tony Farina's new book Welcome to Mansfield and you can checkout here: https://www.arfarina.com. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: Deathstalker helps Reena the Seer out of a few jams, and she solicits his help for a bigger task. She reveals that she is actually Princess Evie, but the evil sorcerer had her abducted and cloned in order to seize control of the kingdom. Together they travel to the evil sorcerer's stronghold to restore the princess to her rightful position, encountering challenges along the way both from the sorcerer's goons and the fierce Amazon women. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Not too many people seem to have seen this one, Dave included, but Chris' pick this week is Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. Directed by Simon Wincer, written by Don Michael Paul and starring Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: Two lone riders and childhood friends, the rough and silent Harley Davidson and the ragged sun-baked cowboy Marlboro, assemble once more when they learn that their favourite hangout and the place where they grew up, the notorious Rock 'n' Roll Bar and Grill is facing imminent foreclosure. For this reason, against the preposterous demands for a new contract, the two lifelong buddies in unflinching determination to win back the bar, they will decide to hold up the corrupt bank's armoured car, unbeknownst to them that its cargo is not money but a new lethal and highly experimental street drug: the Crystal Dream. Now the bank wants it back and they are unstoppable. Is everything lost for Harley and Marlboro, the two well-meaning but amateurish thieves? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Patreon supporter Blake has picked another out of the bag with the 1999 Graham Baker movie, Beowulf. And no, that's not the animated one either. This one stars Christopher Lambert, Oliver Cotton, Gotz Otto, Layla Roberts, Patricia Velásquez, and Rhona Mitra. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: This post-apocalyptic future story is based on the 8th-century Saxon epic poem about the knight who battled a monster in a medieval castle. In this story, Beowulf is a wanderer who learns about a man-eating creature called Grendel which comes in the night to devour warriors trapped at the Outpost. The Outpost is ruled by Hrothgar. He has a daughter, whose husband may have been murdered by the Outpost's master of arms. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

This week is Patreon supporter Susan's pick and it's a martial arts classic, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin from 1978. Directed by Chia-Liang Liu, written by Kuang Ni and starring Gordon Liu (Kill Bill) and Lo Lieh. Check out Susan on Geek Girl Soup: https://geekgirlsoup.com/https://geekgirlsoup.com. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: The anti-Ching patriots, under the guidance of Ho Kuang-han, have secretly set up their base in Canton, disguised as school masters. During a brutal Manchu attack, Lui manages to escape and devotes himself to learning the martial arts in order to seek revenge. In a short period of time he masters the deadly use of his fists, feet and palms, along with such weapons as swords, sticks, and lances. With his learning complete, he takes on the Manchus. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

'Greed is good' was a legendary line delivered by the infamous Gordon Gecko in the 1987 Oliver Stone movie, Wall Street. Directed by Stone, and starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, Hal Holbrook, and Terence Stamp. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: On the Wall Street of the 1980s, Bud Fox is a stockbroker full of ambition, doing whatever he can to make his way to the top. Admiring the power of unsparing corporate raider Gordon Gekko, Fox entices Gekko into mentoring him by providing insider trading. As Fox becomes embroiled in greed and underhanded schemes, his decisions eventually threaten the livelihood of his scrupulous father. Faced with this dilemma, Fox questions his loyalties. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Mr. Destiny is the 1990 fantasy comedy and Chris' pick for this week. Produced, written and directed by James Orr and Jim Cruickshank, this one stars James Belushi, Linda Hamilton, Jon Lovitz, Hart Bochner, and Michael Caine. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: Larry Burrows (Jim Belushi) is unhappy and feels powerless over his life. He believes his entire life could have turned out differently had he not missed that shot in a baseball game when he was a kid. One night he meets this mysterious man named Mike (Sir Michael Caine), who could change his fate by offering him that alternative life he always dreamed of. But as Burrows embarks on this journey of self-discovery he realizes that even this new life has its problems and drawbacks. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Well, that rascal Spider-Dan has done it again and picked one from the archives that few may have seen. In a tale as old as time, struggling actor does questionable porno flick to get by before hitting it big. And this one features a young Sylvester Stallone as 'Stud' in The Party at Kitty and Stud's. Directed and "written" (cough) by Morton Lewis, this movie cost $5k to make and was re-released as Italian Stallion after the success of Rocky in 1976. Catch Spider-Dan at https://www.spiderdanandthesecretbores.com. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: The sex life of Stud and his girlfriend Kitty, a young New York City woman. He is brutal and oafish but she is enamored with his sexual performance. They sometimes engage in light sadomasochism, with Stud belt-whipping her. He later posts a sign on a bulletin board inviting people to a party. Several people show up at their apartment and they engage in group sex, with Stud servicing all the women. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

And now for something, completely different. Mulholland Drive is the 2001 surrealist neo-noir mystery film picked by our supporter, Helen! Written and directed by David Lynch and starring Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux, Laura Elena Harring, Ann Miller, and Robert Forster. This one is sure to divide opinions! If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: Still untarnished by the false promises of the rapacious film industry, the wide-eyed actress, Betty, sets foot on bustling, sun-kissed Hollywood. Brimming with hope, and eager to spread her wings and prove her worth, Betty moves in Aunt Ruth's expensive apartment, unbeknownst to her, however, that fate has other plans in store for her, setting the stage for life-altering experiences with the unexpected, the indecipherable, and the unknown. Now, in the centre of an elaborate labyrinth of half-truths, faded memories, unrequited loves, and dangerous encounters with the city's ugly face lies a strange key to a mysterious keyhole, an even stranger indigo-blue cube, the young director, Adam, and one cryptic woman: the amnesiac brunette and devilishly seductive car-crash survivor, Rita. But, time flies and Rita's opaque past demands answers. After all, both women deserve the truth. What is the secret of the serpentine, dream-crushing Mulholland Drive? ⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Hey you guys!! It's been a long time in coming, but this week Dave subjects Chris to The Goonies! Directed by Richard Donner, screenplay by Chris Columbus, and the story by Steven Spielberg. This one stars Sean Astin, Josh Brolin Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠ Plot Summary: Mikey and his friends have always wanted to go on an adventure. One night they are all in Mikey's attic and Mikey stumbles across an old map. Mikey has always wanted to know if One-eyed Willy ever was a real person and now he might. They set off and later realize that they have to go through the evil Mama Fratelli's restaurant to get to a secret passage to the caves. As they try to get into the caves Mama Fratelli catches Chunk and he is left behind. He then meets Sloth one of Mama Fratelli's sons with a messed up face. He befriends Sloth. Meanwhile, Mama Fratelli and her sons are trying to get to the treasure too. Will the kids make it there before Mama Fratelli does? Will Chuck ever get out of her basement? ⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

There aren't too many people who hold more love for Patrick Swayze than Chris, and this week he's gone for the 1989 action thriller, Next of Kin. Never heard of it? Well, you aren't the only one so strap yourself in! Directed by John Irvin, written by Michael Jenning and starring Patrick Swayze, Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Liam Neeson. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠ Plot Summary: Chicago cop Truman Gates has alienated his rural Kentucky relatives by living in the big city. Truman is happily married to Jessie, a violinist and music teacher. Back on the family spread in Kentucky, Truman's older brother Briar Gates, who has had to struggle ever since the local coal mine was closed down, resents Truman for moving to Chicago and for convincing their younger brother, Gerald Gates, to do the same. Gerald, a truck driver for a vending machine company, feels torn between Truman and Briar. But things are about to take a deadly turn, thanks to Chicago's Isabella crime family, which is led by John Isabella. In an attempt to legitimize his enterprises, John is bringing his son Lawrence Isabella, a recent business school graduate, into the Isabella family operation. That doesn't sit well with Joey Rosselini, whose plan to succeed John as the head of the family is now threatened. Insulted by being forced to groom Lawrence for a position that he feels should be his, Joey reluctantly lets Lawrence accompany him on a little trip to convince the owners of a local vending machine company to sell out to the Isabellas. Joey's method of achieving this goal is to hijack a company truck filled with merchandise, but its driver, Gerald Gates, leads them on a chase and nearly escapes before Joey shoots him dead. By the time Truman figures out that it was Joey who killed Gerald, Briar has arrived in Chicago looking for Joey, and then Lawrence is found dead. John wants revenge, and Joey tells John that it was Truman and Briar who killed Lawrence. Briar later ends up killed by Joey in a shoot-out. Having had more than enough, Truman gets his family together for an all-out war against Joey and his henchmen. ⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

This week's pick is one from Justin and it's the 1996 American crime film written and, making his debut as Director, Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson. Plenty of Vegas, plenty of crime, an intriguing story, it's a wonder we hadn't seen this one before! If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. ⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠ Plot Summary: John has lost all his money. He sits outside a diner in the desert when Sydney happens along, buys him coffee, then takes him to Reno and shows him how to get a free room without losing much money. Under Sydney's fatherly tutelage, John becomes a successful small-time professional gambler, and all is well, until he falls for Clementine, a cocktail waitress and sometimes hooker. ⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Timothy's picked another early 90's classic which neither of us has seen and so going in pretty blind! And it did not disappoint to entertain! Directed by Russell Mulcahy and screenplay by Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard, Commando, 48 Hours) and starring Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-T, Lindsay Wagner, and Kevin Pollak. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: In this action thriller, Denzel Washington plays Nick Styles, the assistant district attorney of L.A. The film opens in his early days as a cop on the L.A.P.D. During a carnival, master criminal Earl Talbot Blake creates a scene after a botched drug deal. Styles and Blake confront each other, during which Blake is wounded by Styles and later sent to prison. Seven years later, Blake escapes from prison during a parole board hearing to carry out his revenge against Styles, and what follows is a violent series of events that destroys Styles' career. This sets the stage for one last bloody duel between Styles and Blake. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

It's yet another Loren Avedon pick this week but the only surprise is, that this time it was Dave who picked and not Chris?! All seems not well with the universe and this is a great martial arts action movie ensemble cast of Cynthia Rothrock, Jalal Merhi, Loren Avedon and Carter Wong. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: When a martial artist called Stryker resurrects three ancient Chinese master assassins so he can take over NYC's underworld, it's up to martial artist cop Tarek Richards to stop them. But he will need the aid of Stryker's former master. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Deciding to give comedy a crack with a movie originally intended for Burt Reynolds, this 1978 movie stars Clint Eastwood along with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Beverly D'Angelo, Ruth Gordon. This was a favourite of both Chris and Dave's and we'll see how it holds up. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood) is an easy-going trucker and a great fist-fighter. With two friends, Orville (Geoffrey Lewis), who promotes prize-fights for him, and Clyde (Manis the Orangutan), the orangutan he won on a bet, he roams the San Fernando Valley in search of cold beer, country music, and the occasional punch-up. But he is floored by country and western singer Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke), who gives him the slip when she realizes he's getting too serious. Phil, Clyde, and Orville set off in pursuit, pestered by bikers. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Herb's Patreon pick this week is the 1994 movie, Sirens. Written and directed by John Duigan and starring Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Sam Neill, Pamela Rabe, Elle Macpherson, Portia de Rossi, Kate Fischer. Though we've both never seen this one, it still does stir up some memories! If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Anthony, a young reverend and his wife, Estella are on the way from England to Australia to minister to their flock. The bishop asks him to visit Norman, an eccentric artist prone to sexual depictions and requests that he voluntarily withdraw a controversial work call "Crucified Venus" from his show. The minister, who considers himself a progressive, is shocked at the amoral atmosphere surrounding the painter, his wife, and the three models living at his estate. The minister's wife is troubled also, and has to deal with latent sexual urges while trying to remain loyal to her husband. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

JAC's Patreon pick this week is the 1988/89 movie Earth Girls Are Easy. Written by Julie Brown, directed by Julien Temple, this stars Geena Davis, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Jeff Goldblum, Julie Brown. This musical sci-fi adventure is sure to have Chris gushing. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Three furry (and funny) aliens travel around the universe in a spaceship and receive a broadcast showing human females. They are fascinated by these shapely creatures and discover that the broadcast came from Southern California on Earth. Meanwhile, Valley girl Valerie Gail feels her cold fiancé Dr. Ted Gallagher is slipping away and decides to seduce him. Instead, she catches him cheating on her with a nurse, throws him out, smashes his things and refuses to see him again. The aliens' spaceship crash lands in Valerie's swimming pool - putting a decided damper on her future wedding plans in Las Vegas. She brings them into her home; and the aliens prove to be quick learners and absorb American popular culture and language through television. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

This week it's a classic from Director Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas from 1990. This biographical crime film is based on the book Wiseguy, written by Nicholas Pileggi and stars Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Henry Hill might be a small time gangster, who may have taken part in a robbery with Jimmy Conway and Tommy De Vito, two other gangsters who might have set their sights a bit higher. His two partners could kill off everyone else involved in the robbery, and slowly start to think about climbing up through the hierarchy of the Mob. Henry, however, might be badly affected by his partners' success, but will he consider stooping low enough to bring about the downfall of Jimmy and Tommy? thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Chris has gone back to the well again, with the 1998 martial arts action movie, Deadly Ransom. Co-produced, co-written and starring the man himself Loren Avedon, this also has Brion James, and you won't believe the twist! If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: A wealthy banker and his daughter are kidnapped by a gang of thugs. The girl's boyfriend, who serves in the special units of the US Navy, is in possession of particular psychic powers. It will be thanks to these powers he will discover the place where the two abducted were locked. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

Maff takes us a little further back in our time machine to 1963 this week! But despite hitting the cinemas then, it's later on when it really becomes a cult classic and a favorite for many on tv. It's Jason and the Argonauts, the mythological fantasy adventure film distributed by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Don Chaffey and starring Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Honor Blackman, and Gary Raymond. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Jason has been prophesied to take the throne of Thessaly. When he saves Pelias from drowning, but does not recognize him as the man who had earlier killed his father, Pelias tells Jason to travel to Colchis to find the Golden Fleece. Jason follows his advice and assembles a sailing crew of the finest men in Greece, including Hercules. They are under the protection of Hera, queen of the gods. Their voyage is replete with battles against harpies, a giant bronze Talos, a hydra, and an animated skeleton army, all brought to life by the special effects wizardry of Ray Harryhausen. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support

A British classic is next up courtesy of Patreon Matt Bates, and it's the 1987 comedy-drama, Rita, Sue and Bob Too. Based on the play by Andrea Dunbar, this is Directed by Alan Clarke and stars Michelle Holmes, Siobhan Finneran, George Costigan, and Lesley Sharp. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Realistic story of working-class Yorkshire life, alternately serious and light-hearted, as two schoolgirls have a sexual fling with a married man. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support