Tame Aperture

If you love grindhouse homage, missing reels, zombies melting in neon light… and heroines with machine-gun legs — this one’s for you!This week on the podcast, we dive headfirst into Planet Terror--the gloriously unhinged half of the double-feature experiment known as Grindhouse, directed by the mad scientist himself, Robert Rodriguez.

In this episode, we talk The Shadow of the Sun, a powerful Venezuelan film that earned international attention as Venezuela’s Academy Awards International Feature Film nominee. It's a quietly powerful film that wrestles with memory, identity, and hope. We’re joined by director Miguel Angel Ferrer, who walks us through the personal origins of the project, themes that shaped it, and the creative decisions that brought it to life. From writing and directing to the realities of indie filmmaking, Miguel opens up about process, intention, and the moments that surprised him along the way. #theshadowofthesun #venezuelanfilms #oscarnominee

In this episode of the podcast, we dive deep into The Deer Hunter (1978), Michael Cimino’s haunting, controversial portrait of friendship, masculinity, and the psychological cost of the Vietnam War.We explore what makes The Deer Hunter such a defining piece of 1970s American cinema—from its deliberate pacing and immersive world-building to its unforgettable performances by Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep. We unpack the symbolism of the deer hunt, the infamous Russian roulette sequences, and how the film uses ritual, silence, and endurance to examine identity before, during, and after trauma.

With holiday schedules being a little wild and busy, throw this on at 1.5x speed—you’ll love it even more!!! In this holiday special, Tame Aperture dives into The Night Before (2015), starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie. The holiday comedy that blends raunchy humor with surprising heart. Gabe and Allen break down what works, what hasn’t aged as cleanly, and why this film has quietly become a modern holiday staple--at least for Gabe.

Watch out for bagel! I mean Bughull. A controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.

Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a well-liked high school government teacher, can't help but notice that successful student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) uses less than ethical tactics to get what she wants. When Tracy runs for school president, Jim feels that she will be a poor influence on the student body and convinces Paul, a dim-witted but popular student athlete, to run against Tracy. When she becomes aware of Jim's secret involvement in the race, a bitter feud is sparked.

Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.

We talk the 2006 film "Slither" by director James Gunn. Wheelsy is a small town where not much happens and everyone minds his own business. No one notices when evil slips in quietly but, when people find mutilated livestock and a woman goes missing, Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) discovers an alien organism that threatens to devour all life on Earth.

We talk Halloween (2018) and dive into Laurie Strode's mission to confront her long-time foe Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago. The film is directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Joe) and stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Andi Matichak.We are also joined by Tame Aperture guest Brannon Richardson. Join Allen and Gabe as they walk through this classic horror franchise.

Comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U Know” present “The Civil War on Drugs” follows two young men who mistakenly believe the Civil War is being waged over the legalization of marijuana. They join the cause and embark on a journey that brings them face to face with the Union, the Confederates, the Pony Express and even Abraham Lincoln.

We talk the 2019 Comedy Horror Satire by James Jarmusch titled "The Dead Don't Die" starring Bill Murray and Adam Driver at the forefront of an ensemble cast. The peaceful town of Centerville finds itself battling a zombie horde as the dead start rising from their graves.

We talk the 1993 directorial debut from Guillermo del Torro titled "Cronos" starring Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman and Claudio Brook. A mysterious device designed to provide its owner with eternal life resurfaces after four hundred years, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.