After more than two years away, Susie Richards returns to the podcast! This time, we take a look at the original horror classic, Halloween. John Carpenter's influential masterpiece has affected horror films and audiences alike for generations, resulting in many sequels and even remakes over the years, but we won't get into that right now.

Please join us, as Susie and I discuss pacing, the nature of evil, how modern horror stacks up to more traditional methods and sadism versus suspense. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the film on your DVD.

NOTE: Due to some minor, technical difficulties, the episode cuts off at the end, before we get the chance to say goodbye. Don't worry though, because we were pretty much finished by then, and you didn't miss anything big.

Happy Halloween!!!

Nick Jimenez returns to talk about the film, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. The story concerns two teenagers falling in love, dealing with their past relationships and the search for an elusive band in the unpredictable streets of New York's nightlife. Please join Nick and I for our commentary as we discuss our opinions on contemporary relationships, "finding today's John Cusack", young love, "selling a soundtrack" and how the film stacks up to "teen" films of previous generations.

Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Nick Jimenez, co-host of Geekeasy returns to the show. This time, we record a commentary for the film Eagle Eye. The movie reunites Shia LaBeouf with the Director of Disturbia, D.J. Caruso. Both pictures were Executive Produced by Steven Spielberg.

Unfortunately, these big names do very little for the quality of the film itself which is plagued by absurdly massive plot holes (the super computer needs to be unlocked in order to perform tasks it spends the entire movie already carrying out just fine), forced and manufactured tension (why does a brief case have a digital timer on it anyway? It's not even a time-sensitive bomb!) and underwritten characters (Rosario Dawson, you turned down a role written specifically for you by Kevin Smith for this?).

Please join Nick and I as we shrug and laugh our way through this entertaining but stupid, popcorn actioner. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Holy smokes! Three digits!

Yes, the episode counter has ticked over to 100 without the webpage imploding in some horrible imitation of the millennium bug. To celebrate said non-implosion, a well-worn DVD makes its way into two DVD players on opposite sides of the Atlantic and simultaneous chatting ensues. As if the name of said DVD was ever in doubt, let's just say it's the one with the llama on the cover.

After more than a year of procrastination, empty promises and flat out laziness, I finally get my hands on a copy of Jonathan London's award-winning short film, Gay By Dawn. Filmed in Austin, Texas, the flick concerns a small group of rednecks sitting around a campfire, telling scary stories. Little do they know, the real terror is out there in those woods. Suspiscion mounts and the accusations fly as the threat of homosexuality may exist among them.

It's a light, innocent and hilarious romp. If you happen to have a copy on DVD, please join me as I take a look at this amusing gem. As always, listen for my preemptive countdown before starting the movie.

P.S. Special thanks goes to Scott Carelli, for being kind enough to send me his copy. Remember kids, you might wake up to find yourself Gay By Dawn, but at least Mexicans and giraffes aren't real. 

House is a classic, haunted residence story from 1986. William Katt stars as a struggling writer who revisits his Aunt's home, after she mysteriously commits suicide. While staying there, he's tortured by memories of his missing son and his personal experiences during the Vietnam War.

It's not long before the house begins to feed off his guilt and sadness. Strange and frightful things are happening, and it all seems to be related to the disappearance of a young boy. This is a fun, dark-humored ride of a ghost story that deals with one man's need to face and conquer his personal demons.

The film is produced by Sean Cunningham, directed by Steve Miner and written by Ethan Wiley, from a story by Fred Dekker. As is usually the case, please listen for my preemptive countdown before beginning the movie on your DVD.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Jim Caviezel stars in Highwaymen, the unofficial companion piece to Robert Harmon's cult classic, The Hitcher. Rennie Cray (Caviezel) is a broken man following the murderous exploits of another broken man, Fargo (Colm Feore). Caught in the middle of this personal vendetta is Fargo's latest pretty, but scarred target, Molly (Rhona Mitra). Meanwhile, a State Traffic Investigator named Macklin (Frankie Faison), is trying to piece together the nature of this particular cat and mouse game between Cray and Fargo.

It's a loud, furious thriller where cars get mangled and destroyed because two men are way past the point of being able to "hug it out". In this commentary, I talk about the importance of rhythm and pacing in a thriller, balancing the ratio between action set pieces and character back story, all the while getting the most out of your sound mixing and editing. As is usually the case, please listen for my preemptive countdown before starting your DVD.

NOTE: This is a Region 2 disc, so there might be a slight synchronization issue for those of you with Stateside DVDs. However, this looks to be a simple port of the American release, so perhaps playback will run at the same speeds. Please let me know if this is not the case.

Ever wonder how those seedy, desolate roadside motels across America manage to stay in business? Well, Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale find out the hard way in Vacancy. This eerie little gem concerns an estranged married couple, forced to spend the night in a rundown motel after their car breaks down.

They soon realize something twisted may be in store for them, when they discover hidden cameras are watching them and the windows are nailed shut. With solid suspense and a lean, well paced running time, Vacancy delivers mature, classical horror in the tradition of Hitchcock, with a modern sensibility in visual storytelling.

Please join me as I discuss claustrophobia, home video technology and Frank Whaley's sinister mustache. As always, please listen for my preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Directed by DJ Caruso, Disturbia is about a troubled teen placed under house arrest. He's got an ankle bracelet that prevents him from going beyond his front yard. To make matters worse, an insanely hot girl moves in next door, and he's pretty sure his other neighbor is an elusive serial killer. But, Carrie-Anne Moss plays the boy's mother, so at least there's that.

Please join me as I go over some of the finer points of this surprisingly intense and well-crafted thriller. A few topics of discussion include comparisons to Fright Night, Cherish and Rear Window. I also ponder the absence of car alarms and a mother's intuition. :)

Just as with other movie commentaries, please listen for my preemptive countdown before starting your DVD.

Shadow Puppets is written and directed by Michael Winnick. It concerns a handful of amnesiacs who awaken to find themselves trapped in an abandoned research facility. While they attempt to figure out their situation and their identities, they are pursued by a mysterious and dangerous shadow creature.

The film stars James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jolene Blalock (Star Trek Enterprise) and Tony Todd (Candyman). Fear, suspicion and paranoia run high in this fun slice of eerie entertainment, where nothing is as it seems and your own shadow is out to get you.

 In 1986, The Hitcher assaulted cinemas around the world. From writer, Eric Red (Near Dark) and director Robert Harmon (Highwaymen), The Hitcher concerns a young traveler being tormented by a cold-blooded killer across the desolate, Texas landscape. The film stars C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders), Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hudsucker Proxy).

Supportive co-host and good friend, Stuart Duncan was generous enough to send me a Region 2 Special Edition DVD. Join me, as I take a fond look back at this cult classic. It's an intense psychological thriller with some of the most amazing car stunts ever realized on film. As per usual, remember to listen for my preemptive countdown before starting the movie. However, since this is a Region 2 disc, there may be issues with synchronization, as these tend to move at a slightly faster framerate, not to mention that the sound is also pitched up a bit.

In any case, strap in, buckle up and have fun. But always remember, never pick up a hitchhiker, unless it's me because, you know, I don't drive. :)

An old friend from High School, Justin Krey sits down as my special guest as we revisit Richard Stanley's cult classic, Dust Devil. After spending the better part of a decade lost in video limbo and cut to incomprehensible shreds, the film can finally be appreciated in full on DVD.

A shape-shifting serial killer prays on lonely, desperate women who have lost hope and want to die. Meanwhile, a sullen cop tries to maintain order among the corrupt police force as he chases the demon across the South African desert. The Walking Man, played by Robert John Burke begins a cat and mouse game of seduction with his latest victim, as his human form conflicts with the spiritual realm.

Justin and I take a look at the film's layers of social, political and spiritual themes. We also discuss the circular nature of the film's narrative structure and how the most intelligent and creative filmmakers are usually misunderstood by the Hollywood assembly line. As per usual, listen for the preemptive countdown before starting your DVD.

Smokin' Aces is a melting pot of genres and characters. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but it's full of vibrant energy and it's never boring. The story concerns a Las Vegas Illusionist who must decide between his loyalty to his friends and his desire to escape the dangers of the mob lifestyle. Buddy "Aces" Israel is a prisoner in every sense of the word. He's forced to hideout in the Penthouse Suite of a posh hotel while negotiating a deal with the FBI to testify against The Mob.

As Buddy slowly breaks down and spirals deeper into self destruction, The Mob gets wind of his plans and decides to put out a free for all contract on the magician's head with a hefty reward in tow. Bail Bondsmen, Snipers and Neo-Nazi Psychopaths of all shapes and sizes descend on the hotel as the FBI tries to get to Buddy before everyone else.

Join me as the blood and bullets fly all over the screen, and Ryan Reynolds proves once and for all that he's more than just a funny Canadian. Just as with most of my audio commentaries, listen for my preemptive countdown before pressing "play" on your trusty, DVD remote.

It's our 1st Anniversary! To celebrate, I've dug deep into the vault to bring you the lost commentary for Jaws: The Revenge. This track was recorded by myself and frequent co-host, Allen Coe at least a year ago. After our first session/episode for Sofa Dogs, which was the original Jaws from 1975, we decided to follow it up with the last film in the franchise.

By this point, Allen had consumed several tall boys (cans) of beer, which made for quite a loose and interesting commentary. A day or so after the fact however, Allen couldn't recall much of what he said and had second thoughts of releasing the recording to our audience. Afraid that this audio track reflected badly on him, he asked me to keep it to myself. Although I tried to convince him that he sounded just fine, I respected my friend's wishes, and so the file was tucked away in my hard drive and remained there for a full year.

He's since then had time to get over such fears, so it is with great pleasure that I can finally present to you our vague ramblings on Jaws: The Revenge. We laugh, roll our eyes and occasionally yell at the screen as a bloated, wobbly puppet of a shark manages to track down the last of the Brody clan all the way to the Bahamas, for...uh, for some reason. Tea and cake, maybe?

It's been over ten years since Empire Records and its colorful employees came into our lives. Since then, the film has become something of a cherished, cult classic. My good friend and Empire fanatic, Susie Richards and I watch and discuss the movie together, via speaker phone. The story takes place roughly within a 24 hour period and centers around a small, independent record store. The place is in danger of being bought out by an evil, corporate chain called Music Town. It's up to Empire's underdog staff to rebel against the system and maintain their family unit of rock n' roll dysfunction.

Join Susie and I as we take a look at the 2003 Special Edition DVD (basically a Director's Cut), and ponder such baffling questions like:
What exactly happened to Deb to make her suicidal?
What really happened to Lucas when he was in Atlantic City?
Why has there never been a Volume Two Soundtrack Album?
Where's the rest of the footage still missing from the movie?
Why no definitive DVD (commentary, retrospective documentary, etc.)?
Just what the hell is Warren's real name, anyway?

After enjoying the podcast, head on over to Open Till Midnight for the ultimate Empire Records fan site. It's chock full of music info, trivia, custom MySpace layouts, desktop wallpapers and even an online store! I recommend the "You make me feel like a bath" t-shirt.

House Of The Dead is a lame, generic and cheap-looking movie based on a popular video game. You know what that means. Yup, it was directed by Uwe Boll. Brandon Ortega and I sit down for some commentary, having never seen the flick before. There's no way we could sit through this garbage twice. Hell, it was enough of a struggle the first time. In any event, Brandon and I keep the conversation alive and there are many laughs to be had with this obvious joke of a movie.

Note: The first countdown to begin the DVD failed, so just wait for the second one before pressing play on your remote. We hope you enjoy the show.

Based on the Hellblazer series from Vertigo Comics, Keanu Reeves is John Constantine, an investigator of the occult and the supernatural. When demons start crossing over into the realm of the living, John has to track down the spear of destiny and stop the Devil's Son from bringing Hell on Earth. With a severe case of lung cancer and a history of sin, John must struggle for acceptance into Heaven and to escape eternal damnation. The things a guy's gotta do to stay in God's good graces. :)

In this modern remake of the H.G. Wells classic story, Tom Cruise runs from a giant Green Screen. You see, space aliens showed up here thousands of years ago and buried their 3-legged Imperial Walkers deep underground. Now, they're popping up all over to well, suck, basically. I'm not just being mean, either. They show up to drain us of our precious life juice. But hey, that's what happens when gas prices keep going up. Of course, if everyone accepted Scientology into their lives, we would be the ones sucking....sucking money from the aliens' wallets. Okay, I'm done with all the biting.

This is the second half of the Jaws audio commentary. Allen continues to drink himself stupid, while a loud, elusive weed whacker tries to hog the mic.

Welcome to the first episode of Sofa Dogs. My good friend, Allen Coe and I sit down to record our first audio commentary. Today in the DVD tray, the 1975 classic Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg. It's about three men who share a boat, get drunk and go hunting a big, animatronic shark named Bruce. Due to the film's extensive running time of 2 hours and 6 minutes, this podcast has been slashed in half. We encourage you to watch the film along with us, so if you pause your DVD the moment this ends, you should be able to pick up right where you left off when starting the second episode. So please join us, as I parrot my trivia notes while Allen attempts to drink his own body weight in beer. We appreciate all forms of feedback and suggestions for future commentaries are also welcome.