Filmjitsu! The Podcast that wields films as deadly weapons

Since this episode lands on Father's Day, Jay decides to do something thematic for a change and assigns Mike one of the most acclaimed and divisive films of the 21st century: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. Is the film a profound meditation on fathers and sons, memory, grief, faith, and the very nature of existence? Or is it an overlong exercise in whispered narration, floating cameras, and cosmic self-importance? The guys tackle that question head-on and, perhaps unsurprisingly given the film's subject matter, find themselves wandering into some unexpectedly personal territory along the way. After the review, the guys count down their Bottom Five Creations, a collection of inventions, monsters, products, and catastrophically misguided acts of ingenuity that probably should have remained on the drawing board. Then it's time once again for Dueling Double Bills, where Mike and Jay attempt to pair randomly selected films into seat-filling double features and, as usual, discover that agreement is far less likely than argument. Finally, in a move that may qualify as self-harm under certain legal definitions, Mike and Jay announce an upcoming trip to the movie theater, where they'll willingly exchange approximately two mortgage payments for tickets, popcorn, and whatever fresh cinematic Hell awaits them on the big screen.

On this episode of Filmjitsu, Mike decides he'd like to "extend winter" a little longer by assigning Jay the Netflix holiday rom-com Hot Frosty. A calculated attempt to exploit Jay's well-documented affection for romantic comedies, this weird take on Frosty the Snowman stars Hallmark Channel royalty Lacey Chabert and a magically animated snowman blessed with abs that could cut glass. Is it a surprisingly heartfelt holiday romance, or just another disposable entry in the ever-expanding streaming content machine? The guys dig in during the main review and then afterward, Mike and Jay count down their Bottom Five Hotties, a collection of movie characters whose scorching appeal can't compensate for their terrible behavior or general awfulness. Then it's time once again for Dueling Double Bills, where the guys attempt to build the perfect companion features for wildly different movies and, as usual, wander into unexpected territory along the way. Finally, the eternal cycle of cinematic revenge continues when the next assignment is revealed. So crank up your air conditioning, grab a mug of hot cocoa and join the podcast that wields films like deadly weapons as they contend with more icy-hotness than Mike's used on his forever-ailing back.

This week on Filmjitsu, Mike is subjected to Bolero, the infamous 1984 erotic drama directed by John Derek and starring his wife, Bo Derek, in what may be the most lavishly photographed vanity project ever unleashed upon unsuspecting audiences.Was this a genuinely misguided attempt at prestige filmmaking, or simply expensive late-night cable fodder pretending to be profound? Mike and Jay attempt to separate the silk scarves from the sleaze during the main review. Afterward, inspired by one of cinema’s purest examples of exploitation masquerading as art, the guys count down their Bottom Five Sleazy Art Films. From self-important erotic dramas to beautifully-shot cinematic skin flicks desperate for legitimacy, these are the movies that mistake tasteful lighting and international locations for substance. Then it’s time once again for Dueling Double Bills, where Mike and Jay take tangentially related movies and create competing double features either fit for the art house or destined for the video store back room. Finally, the cycle of cinematic vengeance continues when Mike reveals what fresh madness Jay will be forced to endure on the next episode.

On this episode of the podcast that wields films like deadly weapons, the guys return from a brief hiatus to tackle one of the strangest high-concept movies of the last decade: The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot. Starring the eternally weathered and deeply mustachioed Sam Elliott, the film answers its wacky title with meditations on aging, government conspiracies, and wartime trauma. Fun! Can a man with a voice aged in bourbon barrels—and enough quiet manliness to make the Marlboro Man—look like a ballerina hold together a movie this ambitiously bizarre? Jay and Mike offer their thoughts, then count down their Bottom Five Microgenres: those hyper-specific cinematic niches that severely test the patience of the co-hosts. Along the way, a few beloved films catch stray bullets, including Ray, Black Beauty, and Freaky Friday. Then it’s time for an unexpectedly combative round of Dueling Double Bills before Jay once again reveals what fresh cinematic suffering Mike will endure on the next episode.

On this special “From the Vault” episode of the podcast that wields films like deadly weapons, Jay and Mike hit pause on their usual cycle of cinematic punishment to dig into the archives and revisit a piece of Filmjitsu history. With many of the most infamous “bad movie” staples already covered during the show’s original run, some titles have been left in limbo... until now. This week, the vault opens on Showgirls and listeners are taken back to 2010, where a much younger Mike, alongside original co-host John, tries to make sense of Paul Verhoeven’s neon-drenched spectacle of excess. Along the way, the guys count down their Bottom Five Movie Dances, square off in a round of Matinee Deathmatch—naming films within a chosen theme until one host taps out—and then close things out with a pair of Staff Picks to cleanse the palate after all the cinematic carnage. Next week, the torment resumes, as Mike’s revenge continues and Jay reports back on The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot as scheduled.