#46 Point Break
Better Than Speed
Surf's up BTS fans! After an extended hiatus, we're back. To get us started off with a bang, we're going to pit Keanu against Keanu. That's right - we're going to see if the 1991 action classic POINT BREAK is better than, equal to, or worse than our beloved SPEED. Time to sit back, listen, and ask yourself: if you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love. Vaya con Dios! Thanks as always to the unbeatable Andrew Elmore for the incredible intro music. Check out more of his amazing music . Erin Larson's Better Than Speed...
info_outline
#45 The Hunger
Better Than Speed
The SPEED gang sinks their teeth into the 80s cult film THE HUNGER starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. Can Keanu Reeves and the careening bus take on seedy 80s New York, luscious billowing curtains in blue light and three absurdly attractive leads? Grab your Ankh and tune in to find out. We are joined by extraordinary editor Alex O’Flinn (A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD).
info_outline
#44 Gremlins 2 The New Batch w/ Guest Gizmo (A.J. LoCascio)
Better Than Speed
Never get them wet. Never feed them after midnight. Never go below 50. Make sure to take good care of your pet Keanus this holiday season. Special guest A.J. LoCascio (the voice of Gizmo in the upcoming HBO Max series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai) joins us to compare Gremlins 2: The New Batch to Speed. How does this podcast even exist?
info_outline
#43 Stephen King's Firestarter
Better Than Speed
There's a chill in the autumn air, but we brought the fire! Join us for Stephen King's Bressonian slow cinema "classic" FIRESTARTER, starring Drew Barrymore. With special guest, the incredible Isla Hinck from Easy Allies!
info_outline
#42 Eraserhead
Better Than Speed
Back in the Speed cave after a year, the gang venture into the nightmarish world of David Lynch's ERASERHEAD. Without Sandra Bullock's top-notch driving and Keanu Reeve's expert marksmanship, how will they ever find their way home? Hold onto your hats. It's another wild episode of Better Than Speed.
info_outline
#41 Dawn of the Dead
Better Than Speed
Better than Speed is Back from the Dead! The boys take a stab at George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Does it rise to the occasion? Is it a dead-end bore? Lock the doors, board the windows, hide in the basement and listen in! Bonus - we offer our thoughts on the Kean'ews of 2020 - Bill & Ted Face the Music. (This episode was originally recorded in September of last year, so pandemic references and Bill & Ted excitement are out of date.)
info_outline
#40 Bus Passenger Ortiz
Better Than Speed
Join us for a special episode with Carlos Carrasco, the actor who played Ortiz (aka Gigantor) in the film SPEED and Popeye in BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT, among many others (including THE FISHER KING and CROCODILE DUNDEE 2)! Hear all about SPEED's infamous script rewrites and death-defying stunts. Plus, Carlos gives great advice to young actors and filmmakers while discussing representation in Hollywood.
info_outline
#39 The Creation of the Humanoids
Better Than Speed
Never has the screen brought you a more shocking revelation. Out of World War III came ... The Creation of the Humanoids. Special guest Dawn Garcia joins us in the virtual Speed cave and gives Keanu Reeves a run for his money with an influential sci-fi cult film that asks the question: "How do you apologize to someone for killing them?"
info_outline
#38 The Bad Batch
Better Than Speed
For a refreshing change of pace, who's in the mood for a desert apocalypse? We crawl across the barren landscape of Ana Lily Amirpour's sophomore film, The Bad Batch, and perform our task once again: compare every movie to Speed. With Keanu Reeves as a charismatic cult leader nicknamed "The Dream," what could possibly go wrong?
info_outline
#37 Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Better Than Speed
This is our podcast and its freaking us out! Join the BTS crew as they take a trip Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Will they succumb to the film's pills and thrills? Do they love it when a beautiful woman licks between their toes?? Turn on, tune in, drop out and find out!
info_outlineWhen he sees someone rich both his thumbs start to itch and he has to pick a pocket or two. The wonderful Morgan Hanner-Morfesis joins us to discuss Robert Bresson's transcendental meditation on love and loss, PICKPOCKET. Drinking game: take a shot every time we mention Paul Schrader.
This episode's film selection PICKPOCKET is available on FilmStruck, and they have a 14-day trial if you wanna stay on theme and snatch this one for free.
On our next episode we'll be celebrating The Summer of Sandra with all of our favorite Sandra Bullock films, like THE NET, GRAVITY, and DEMOLITION MAN (as well as some of her stinkers like WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING). If you act quick HBO has PRACTICAL MAGIC and THE BLIND SIDE streaming. Write into us at [email protected] and let us know your favorite Sandra moments and we'll read them during the next episode!
We reference a whole shitload of research material in this PICKPOCKET episode, so if you want to follow us down the rabbit hole, here ya go:
-Paul Schrader's book, Transcendental Style in Film
-Paul Schrader’s essay on film noir
-Paul Schrader’s glowing review of PICKPOCKET
-The Tarkovsky diagram
-The Letterboxd list of slow cinema
-And finally, Dana Carvey's turtle costume
