Hello From Obscurity

Ambitious young radio producer Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal) finds a charming rogue named Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes (Andy Griffith) in an Arkansas drunk tank and puts him on the air. Soon, Rhodes' local popularity gets him an appearance on television in Memphis, which he parlays into national network stardom that he uses to endorse a presidential candidate for personal gain. But the increasingly petulant star's ego, arrogance and womanizing threaten his rise to the top. The gang takes a crack at a classic that may have more to day about today than the creators could ever know.

In a very special season 3 opener, the gang gets together all in person! We watched a film that may have traumatized Sam as a child and may traumatize us as adults. When their father goes off to war, a group of children that includes the mischievous Robert (Freddie Highmore) and Cyril (Jonathan Bailey) stay with their uncle, who has a greenhouse on his property. There, they discover "It," a creature they recognize from bedtime stories as being a sand fairy. "It" can grant wishes, but as the children and their cousin, Horace (Alexander Pownall), soon find out, the more outlandish their desire, the greater the chance for disaster to result. Welcome to season 3, we hope this is everything you WISHED for!

Hey you! Do you know about Selkies? The magical people who under the sea? No. Not mermaids. Selkies are people who transform into seals when the put on their seal coats. You don’t know about them? Well, this week’s film is centered around a supposed Selkie lady (Alicja Bachleda), dragged up from the waters in a net by local fisherman Syracuse (Colin Farrell). The film is Ondine! A small Irish indie movie which takes a look at topics of family, redemption, alcoholism and love. It features romance, small town Irish culture, the aforementioned “Selkies” and a Bourne-Identity-style action sequence??? Is this Neil Jordan directed romance worth dredging from the sea? Or does it belong within the Ocean of Obscurity?

The year is 2002, a blockbuster appears in theaters featuring a future world where medieval dragons have conquered and the remaining humanity must fight back with the meager resources they possess just to survive. This blockbuster is then promptly forgotten never to be heard from again. We may just be the only remaining humanity that remembers this film. We remember it stars that guy from American Psycho (Christian Bale) as a British Pyro. And stars that other guy from Lincoln Lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) as an actual axe-wielding American Psycho. Together they must hunt down the male dragon to ebb the population of dragons and save mankind. Is this movie worth the watch? Or should it be left to rot in the far reaches of Northumberland dystopia?

The year is 2011, pop icon Madonna has released her film W.E. about the "Greatest Love Story of the 20th Century," between Wallace Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy). This honor may be debatable considering he was a disgraced king and she was a nazi-sympathizer. No matter. This film has another romance set in 1998 between a despondent housewife (Abbie Cornish) and a sexy security guard (Oscar Isaac). This movie features style, auctions, historical inaccuracies, gorgeous gowns and Oscar Isaac doing a sultry Russian accent. Is this film royally misunderstood? Or should it abdicate itself back to Obscurity?

The year is 2014 and if you're living in South Korea, you are loving the new box office smash The Pirates at your local movie theater! However, if you were in America at the time, you've probably never heard of it. This movie features Pirates, Bandits, Imperial Generals, Emperors and a multitude of winding subplots. Will this action adventure be known outside South Korea? Or will this spectacle fated be only popular in within its country of origin?

The year is 2016, James Gunn has written script eerily similar to The Suicide Squad. An ordinary day at the office becomes a horrific quest for survival when 80 employees (John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona) at the Belko Corp. cross between Battle Royale and Office Space, The Belko Experiment attempts to show the heartlessness of corporate culture. Does it succeed or does falls short and recedes back into sea of oblivion?

Content Warning: Disturbing Imagery, Cults, Loss of Pregnancy, Murder, Body HorrorThe year is 2016 and a couple of very talented friends specializing in SFX decide to make a movie. A very, very, gory movie. And what's more: They've gone to the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo to help raise funds specifically for the effects, all of them to be practical. With a creepy hospital to shoot in, a cult to follow their characters, and as much blood and gore as you could possibly imagine will this team truly create something no one has seen before, or was it better left in their dark imaginations? Find out on this episode of Hello From Obscurity!

The year is 1985, forty-six years after MGM's classic film The Wizard of Oz, comes the the release of not-so-classic spiritual sequel, Return to Oz. Instead of the whimsy of the first one, we are introduced to the horrors of Oz. Instead of the wonder of Emerald City, we return to the hell-scape it has become. And instead of Dorothy's three delightful companions, we are introduced to a whole other set of weird puppet friends. However, just because it is different, the question "is it good?' is still yet to be answered. Come join us as we review Return to Oz.

The year is 2002, Pokemon is riding high at some of it's greatest hits continue to enthrall children around the world. They release their 5th movie in the series, set in a version of venice, featuring cat burglars, mysterious legends, strange new pokemon, and lengthy conversations about ice cream. Was this just another in a string of hits for Ash and the gang, or does one of the shortest movies the studio ever made fall short of expectations as well? Find out with Wesley, Peter, Lily, and Sam on this episode!

The year is 2008, the director of Saw II sets out to create his passion project: a gore and angst filled musical featuring graverobbing, a culture of excessive plastic surgery and a less-then-ideal healthcare program. Repo! The Genetic Opera. When an epidemic of organ failure grips the world, the company GeneCo stepped in and offered viable organs to all. However, if you miss a payment for you organs, they will send the Repo Man after you to take back what is rightfully the company's property. Shilo, a teenage girl, will explore is twisted world and try to find herself along the way. Is this operetta too much for for today's audience? Or will we recall it back from that mysterious realm we call... Obscurity!

In this episode, we jump into the surreal and bizarre creation of Terry Gilliam. The film follows the stories of the preposterous Baron Munchausen and his crew as they travel to such strange yet amazing settings. They journey kingdom on the moon, a Roman god's lair on the bottom of a volcano and inside a belly of a sea monster. Is this ill-fated film meant to be passed onto future generations? Or do we leave it be, untouched in the wilderness of oblivion? Join us as we review The Adventures of Baron Munchausen!