Vintage Cinema Rewind

Slap Shot (1977) Spoiler Free Primer

"The good old hockey game is the best game you can name, and the best game you can name is the good old hockey game…” Paul Newman returns to Vintage Cinema Rewind with his greasiest role yet. That’s right, it’s time for Blake and Michael to take to the ice in George Roy Hill’s Slap Hot! Michael is a down-on-his-luck player-coach for perhaps the worst team in the league. And to his horror, he learns that the team is about to fold. In desperation, he resorts to cheaper and cheaper tactics to drum up support. Meanwhile, Blake wants to play straight. Can they reach an understanding? Or will they both end up stranded in the penalty box?

Hard Boiled (1992) Deep Dive

Get ready for some more X-rated action! This week, Vintage Cinema Rewind continues with their Deep Dive on John Woo’s bullet-riddled cult classic: Hard Boiled! Blake has begun to unravel the vast and tangled conspiracy unspooling around him. Meanwhile, Michael has shot down his previous employer and has suffered a terrible price for his disloyalty. The two gunslingers then connect and concoct a plan to take down Johnny Wong once and for all. Can they oust this evil new crime lord from their city? Or will they all be made into paper cranes?

Hard Boiled (1992) Spoiler Free Primer

Today's eggs are served in boiling water! That's right, Vintage Cinema Rewind is back with John Woo's cult 90s classic: Hard Boiled! Blake is a loose canon cop on the edge who doesn't play by the rules but gets results. Meanwhile, Michael is a top assassin associated with the old guard of the city's seedy underworld. But a new power is looming on the horizon. And though on opposite sides of the law, Blake and Michael are forced into conflict with this remorseless new breed of criminals. Can they restore order? Or are their eggs cooked?

Excalibur (1981) Deep Dive

The centre truly cannot hold on Vintage Cinema Rewind. This week, the boys are back with their Deep Dive on John Boorman’s beautiful mess: Excalibur! Blake has discovered his wife’s adultery and has since renounced the mystical sword. As a result, both he and the realm are withering. He dispatches his Knights of the Roundtable to uncover the only thing that can restore them: the Holy Grail. But as his best warriors prowl the haunted lands, a new threat rises in the form of his own illegitimate son, Mordred. Can he rally his remaining knights for one final charge? Or is all of Britannia doomed?   

Excalibur (1981) Spoiler Free Primer

What do you get when you cross King Arthur, psychedelics, opera, and more than a little nudity? You get John Boorman's Excalibur--the messiest, bloodiest, sexiest fantasy film of the previous century. Blake is a clumsy young squire with no idea of the magnificent destiny that awaits him. But little does he know that Michael--an aging druid--has been pulling the strings around him for generations now. After yanking the fabled sword from the stone, he finds himself thrust into a world he doesn't understand. Can he restore order to Britain? Or will he end up slaughtered for his hubris?

The Beast (1988) Deep Dive

“You can’t be a good soldier in a rotten war.” So says Michael at the end of this long, brutal road of carnage. That’s right, Vintage Cinema Rewind is back with the sometimes controversial 1988 cult film: The Beast. The sands of Afghanistan have never run redder. Michael’s commanding officer has devolved into a state of violent paranoia. Meanwhile, Blake is still hunting down these assailants to prove himself as Khan. But when Michael is ousted and left for dead by his own unit, the two form an unlikely bromance. Can the two of them finally stop the Russian army? Or will they just start a middling podcast together?

The Beast (1988) Spoiler Free Primer

“I NEED A WOMAN!” As Vintage Cinema Rewind leaves Oscar season in the dust, they set their sights on sandier shores. That’s right, they’re back with the oft-overlooked 1988 cult classic: The Beast! Michael is part of a Russian tank unit with too much blood on his hands. But when he and his men storm an innocent village and leave nothing but ruin in their wake, Blake—the local Khan—swears revenge. What follows is a nail-biting cat-and-mouse game throughout the wastes of Afghanistan. Can Michael and his comrades escape the canyon unscathed? Or will David finally slay Goliath? (This episode is dedicated to our friend Nick—our one and only listener!)

Z (France/Algeria 1969) Deep Dive

Oscar season concludes on this week's Vintage Cinema Rewind. And in honour of these preposterously troubled times, we're continuing with our Deep Dive on Costa-Gavras's Z--a howling screed against totalitarianism! The noose of justice is tightening! Witnesses are being silenced! The truth remains obscured! Can Blake wade through all the red tape and redder corpses to uncover what truly happened to Michael? Can be bring down the fascist regime? Or will all his efforts ultimately prove futile?

Z (France/Algeria 1969) Spoiler Free Primer

Oscar season continues on Vintage Cinema Rewind. And this week, we’re covering the Z—Costa-Gavras’s screed against the scourges of fascism. Michael is a distinguished leftist politician giving a speech about nonviolence and nuclear disarmament. But when he’s clubbed to death in the streets, Blake—the magistrate—is appointed to uncover the truth. But as he digs deeper, a sprawling, labyrinthine web of conspiracies and abuses begins to reveal themselves. Can he bring the culprits to justice? Even when those same culprits dictate what justice means?
 
Where to watch: Z - movie: where to watch streaming online

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (China/Taiwan - 2000) Deep Dive

"Whatever path you decide to take in this life... be true to yourself." Vintage Cinema Rewind is back with their Deep Dive on Ang Lee's award-winning wuxia masterpiece: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The battle for Jen's soul continues! After she steals off in the dead of night with the Green Destiny, Blake and Michael end up chasing her across half of China. But as Jen wreaks eighteen years of repressed rage across the countryside, can they convince her to surrender the blade and accept Blake's tutelage? Will Blake and Michael finally confess their feelings for each other? Or will yet more blood be shed before the night is up?

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (China/Taiwan - 2000) Spoiler Free Primer

To repress one’s feelings only makes them stronger. Well this week, Blake and Michael have a lot of feelings in need of expressing. Vintage Cinema Rewind kicks off Oscar season with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon—Ang Lee’s wuxia masterpiece. Blake is an aging warrior who has decided to stop living by the blade. But when Michael attempts to deliver his sword to their feudal lord, a thief steals it from them. The assailant turns out to be a noblewoman trapped both by tradition and the resentments of her mentor. Can Blake and Michael intervene and steer her towards the light? Or will they all remain trapped in darkness?
 
Minor correction: Ang Lee, the Director, is Taiwanese.
 
Where to watch: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - stream online

Like Water for Chocolate (Mexico - 1992) Deep Dive

Things continue to boil over on Vintage Cinema Rewind. This week, Blake and Michael are back with their Deep Dive into the strangest romantic drama to ever come out of Mexico, Like Water for Chocolate. Tita returns home from the mental institution to find that her tyrant of a mother has been finally done away with. But complications continue to escalate with her sneering older sister, the revolution, and a doctor who has taken a certain liking to her. Will she and Pedro finally end up together? Or will we all end up with onions on our heads?

Like Water for Chocolate (Mexico - 1992) Spoiler Free Primer

It’s somehow both the gloomiest and most romantic time of the year. As Valentine’s Day rears it’s ugly head once again, Vintage Cinema Rewind celebrates with Mexico’s most sizzling flick: Like Water for Chocolate! When a young woman is denied a chance at happiness thanks to the burdens of tradition, she instead channels her passions into cooking. But the stars haven’t just conspired against her and her love, they seem to be actively trying to force them apart. Can she find a way to return to her paramour’s arms, despite all the sneering mothers, revolutions and mental institutions (this movie is a rip) trying to keep them apart? Or will the only water in this chocolate be from tears?
 
Where to watch: Like Water for Chocolate - watch streaming online

The Grey Fox (Canada - 1982) Deep Dive

HANDS UP! Vintage Cinema Rewind is back with their rootinest tootinest Deep Dive on Canada's mellowest western: The Grey Fox! Blake is laying low while plotting his next scheme. However, most of the locals aren't entirely fooled by his well-meaning miner persona. And things take a more complicated turn when he falls in love with a local woman and Pinkerton agents catch his scent. Yet even still, he's determined to pull off one last job. Can he escape with a cache of ill-gotten riches? Or will he be forced back into stripes with only fourteen dollars and a jar of kidney pills for his trouble?

The Grey Fox (Canada - 1982) Spoiler Free Primer

This podcast has an ambition that just won't quit. Vintage Cinema Rewind is back with Canada's mellowest Western: The Grey Fox! Blake is an aging stage-coach robber struggling to adjust to a world that has left behind. But after dusting off his six-shooters and embarking on a newfound life of crime, he reconnects with Michael, an old associate. He needs to lay low while plotting his next job. But will this sleepy little town finally cause him to go straight?
 
Where to watch: The Grey Fox - movie: where to watch streaming online
 
Free (Poor Quality) YouTube version: https://youtu.be/thFI5kWKR-o?si=mB4A522Cbt9DhpY4

Barry Lyndon (1975) Deep Dive

A lady who sets her heart upon a pair of thirty-something podcasters must prepare to change lovers pretty quickly, or her life will be but a sad one. Vintage Cinema Rewind is back with their Deep Dive on Stanley Kubrick's strange little masterpiece: Barry Lyndon. Blake has achieved everything he could ever want. He survived the Seven Years' war. Escaped not one but two armies. And has now married a rich woman with seemingly limitless coffers. But now that he's reached such heights, he decides to set about legitimizing himself as a proper noble. However, he might just realize too late that the problem with climbing higher is that he then has so much further to fall...

Barry Lyndon (1975) Primer

Welcome to the Year of Our Lord 2026! And in honour of both Blake's birthday and the unyielding horrors, Vintage Cinema Rewind is celebrating with Stanley Kubrick's oft-overlooked classic: Barry Lyndon! Blake is an Irish peasant trapped in a doomed love affair. And after a disastrous duel forces him into hiding, he flees to mainland during the Seven Years' War. But following a series of truly preposterous missteps, he ends up under the tutelage of Michael--a one-eyed spy and notorious card shark. Can they rise above their impoverished stations and make off with some quick cash? Or is it time to cash in their chips?

VCR 2025 Year End Wrap Up

What a year! What a time to be alive. As 2025 rounds to close, Blake and Michael sit down to reflect on the seemingly endless stream of movies they've subjected themselves to. What were their favourites? What were their least comfortable viewing experiences? And what, oh what, does this coming year have in store for them?

Cosy Dens (Czech - 1999) Deep Dive

A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate from your favourite frenemies at Vintage Cinema Rewind. Today we're continuing to ring in the season with our Deep Dive on the Czech classic: Cosy Dens! The holidays continue to stretch on with the three families. But with such close proximity comes an even greater strain. Can Blake and Michael overcome their disdain for each other? Or are even greater forces already moving against them?
 
Full Movie: https://youtu.be/6QTieSQeNvE?si=v9ovxO0R_arzmDFI

Cosy Dens (Czech - 1999) Primer

Happy Holidays from Vintage Cinema Rewind. And this year, we've pooled their resources to bring you our Primer episode of Cosy Dens, an iconic Czech Christmas film. Michael is coping with an extreme case of unrequited love. Meanwhile, Blake is a tyrant approaching his fourth heart attack. Can they and their families finally come together in yuletide bliss? Or will this Christmas end up soaking with the fish?
 
Full Movie: https://youtu.be/6QTieSQeNvE?si=v9ovxO0R_arzmDFI