Libertarias (1996) | The Anarchists Fight for Spain
Red Rose Film Club
After a hiatus, we are back! And we're finishing our series on the Spanish Civil War. We watched the 1996 film Libertarias (dir. Vicente Aranda) about the Free Women of Spain, an all-female column of anarchist resistance fighters who fought on the frontline of the Spanish Civil War. We discuss the Catholic Church and its role in the revolution and how anarchism rose from leftist movements in Spain. Discussion also includes: Our recent watches: including THE SURFER (2024), FRIENDSHIP (2024), FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINE (2025), THE ACCOUNTANT 2 (2025), DANGEROUS ANIMALS (2025), BRING HER BACK...
info_outline
Raza (1942) | Franco Goes to Hollywood!
Red Rose Film Club
The 1942 film RAZA is a Spanish propaganda film written by THE Fascist Supreme himself Francisco Franco, showcasing the rise of Spain's Nationalist Movement through the eyes of a single family. RAZA checks all the boxes of fascist propaganda: an obsession with a "noble death" in the name of empire, ahistorical interpretations of rival political movements, and absolute terrible filmmaking. We discussed Franco's forray into film as well as: What qualifies as propaganda; Recent viewings: THE MONKEY (2025), BLACK BAG (2025), and PINK NARCISSUS (1971); Wrestling talk, including John Cena's recent...
info_outline
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) | Franco, Fascism, & Fantasy
Red Rose Film Club
We start a three episode series discussing movies that depict the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco's fascist rule in Spain. First up is Guillermo Del Toro's 2006 fantasy Pan's Labyrinth. Discussion includes: Recent watches: Wolf Man (2025), Heart Eyes (2025), Presence (2024), Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Let's Start a Cult (2024), and The Tarnished Angels (1957); The brave people in federal government resisting Trump and Elon's fascist takeover; The beauty of resistance and fantasy as an escape from political upheaval; And how many characters in Mel Gibson's new film FLIGHT RISK talk...
info_outline
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (w/guest Indie Sinclair)| Hot Patootie, Bless Our Community
Red Rose Film Club
For our fiftieth episode, we welcomed burlesque and sideshow performer extraordinaire Indie Sinclair to discuss THE cult film of all cult films: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. We discuss the film's lasting legacy and the community its builr over the last fifty years. Discussion also includes: This year's Oscar nominations; The passing of David Lynch; Indie Sinclair gives us some behind the scenes views of hosting Rocky Horror midnight screenings; And our comfort movies. Find Indie Sinclair online: Follow us online! Follow us on Twitter at Follow our Follow Hal on Twitter...
info_outline
Hairspray (1988) | Integration, Suburbia, and Music
Red Rose Film Club
In our first episode of 2025, we discuss the Godfather of Filth John Waters and his rollicking 1988 film about integration in Baltimore: Hairspray. Discussion also includes: Other recent watches: NOSFERATU (Robert Eggers), THE LAST SHOWGIRL (Gia Coppola), FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! (Russ Meyer), and ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (Don Siegel); Farm labor in Florida; Craig's New Year's Resolution Watchlist; Lots of Coppola talk: Francis, Gia, Sofia, and Nic! Follow us online! Follow us on Twitter at Follow our Follow Hal on Twitter at Follow Craig on Twitter at Follow ...
info_outline
2024 in Review!
Red Rose Film Club
It's the end of the year, so it's our end of the year wrap-up special! Hal and Craig discuss their favorite new movies of 2024, as well as some of their favorite first time watches! Discussion also includes: A new entry in Hal's favorite sub-genre: NUN movies! Kendrick Lamar's new album "GNX"; Shotime's excellent series Yellowjackets; Quentin Tarantino's book Cinema Speculation (and his unfotunate blaccent) Follow us online! Follow us on Twitter at Follow our Follow Hal on Twitter at Follow Craig on Twitter at Follow Follow
info_outline
Reagan (2024) | Well....This Movie Sucks
Red Rose Film Club
We did one of Craig's favorite kind of episodes: making Hal watch a terrible conservative movie! This time, we watched Sean McNamara's 2024 film, and shameless hagiography, REAGAN. Discussion also includes: Recent watches: CONCLAVE (2024), HERETIC (2024), ANORA (2024), KAMIKAZE HEARTS (1986), ALTERED STATES (1980), and THE NIGHT PORTER (1975) Matt Gaetz nomination for (and subsequent withdrawal) Attorney General Alex Jones losing Infowars to the Onion Is notorious Republican monster Dana Rohrbacher actually a cool surfer guy? (no) Follow us online! Follow us on Twitter at Follow...
info_outline
Candyman (2021) | America's Legacy of Violence Against Black Bodies
Red Rose Film Club
Spooky season concludes with Nia DaCosta's 2021 sequel Candyman. We discuss America's legacy of violence against black bodies and the undue burden put on black artists to represent black pain "the right way". Discussions also include: Our two-year pod-iversary. Hal's book club reading of D.H. Lawrence's WOMEN IN LOVE; Craig saw Damien Leone's Christmastime masterpiece: TERRIFIER 3; How Candyman builds on the original film, while staking its own place in horror history. NOTE: We recorded this episode on November 5th, just three days before the news of Tony Todd's untimely passing. Rest...
info_outline
Vote YES ON 4 for Reproductive Justice in Florida!
Red Rose Film Club
We had a delay recording our next episode. So in lieu of a new episode (coming soon, but after the election...), here's Hal encouraging you to VOTE YES ON 4 for REPRODUCTIVE JUSTIVE in Florida. John Wilson affidavit:
info_outline
The People Under the Stairs (1991) | Slumlords, Gentrification, and the Gimp Daddy-ing of America
Red Rose Film Club
Spooky season continues and Hal and Craig watched Wes Craven's 1991 horror-comedy The People Under the Stairs. We discuss how the economic policies of Ronald Reagan (and his putrid Wormtongue Milton Friedman) led to our current housing crisis. Discussion also includes: Our favorite Wes Craven films; The bombing of the Al-Aqsa hospital in Gaza and Palestinian martyr Shaban Al-Dalou; Some books we're reading: "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein and "When the Clock Broke" by John Ganz; Other recent viewings including "The Apprentice", "The Substance", and "Wolfs"; and Ving Rhames' all-time great...
info_outlineWe're talking labor unions! Hal and Craig watched Barbara Kopple's HARLAN COUNTY, USA, the ground-breaking 1976 documentary chronicling the struggles of coal mine workers in Harlan County, Kentucky as they fight against coal barons, police, and scabs in an effort to join the United Mine Workers of America. Discussions also include:
- Abortion rights winning at the ballot;
- Weaponizing the Civil Rights Act against student protestors;
- A round-up of our recently watched films: The Killer (2023), The Flash (2023), Serial Mom (1994), and The Conformist (1970); and
- The state of labor unions in Kentucky today;
Sources & Links:
- National Labor Review Board
- "The Search for Order 1817-1920" by Robert H. Wiebe (1967)
- "Democracy for the Few" by Michael Parenti (2002)
- "Subterranean Fire: A History of Working Class Radicalism in the US" by Sharon Smith (2006)
- Nyden, Paul. 1978. Rank-and-file organizations and the United Mine Workers of America. The Insurgent Sociologist. 8(2): 25.
- Harlan County USA: Songs of the Coal Miner's Struggle
- "They'll Never Keep Us Down" by Hazel Dickens
- "Which Side Are You On?" by Florence Reese
- "The Yablonski Murder" by Hazel Dickens