Watch This With Rick Ramos

Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly It's becoming increasingly difficult to find straight-forward, honest, and personal stories at the movie theater. The low to medium budget films that populated the 1970s have cast a shadow that continues to excite and inspire modern audiences. In the wasteland of re-vamps, sequels, action and comic book dreg, a handful of pictures crawl out of the monotony. In 2012, one of these films was released and quickly disappeared from theaters. With the star power of Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini, supporting players Richard Jenkins, Scoot McNairy, and Ben Mendelsohn, and executive producer and star, Bradd Pitt, Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly should have been a box office hit and a critical darling. However, a film as bleak as this one - profiling the economic problems leading to the 2008 financial crisis, a difficult and racially contested presidential election, and a bleak social atmosphere focusing on blue collar criminals and hitmen versus corporate criminal bosses - Dominik's third film would be dismissed and buried by a public and studio system that would prefer leaving the pasat as it was. This week we look back at it with a decades perspective. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused On this week's episode we explore 1976 through the eyes of 1993, with Richard Linklater's slacker/high-school masterpiece, Dazed & Confused. Linklater's love letter to high school coming-of-age films is one of the stand-out productions of early 90s independent cinema; a film that blends aimless storytelling with a pounding and nostalgic 70s soundtrack, to reminisce on the good, bad, boring, and character forming experiences of growing up. Juniors becoming Seniors, Middle-Schoolers transitioning to High School, Dazed & Confused is much more than a re-creation of Texas in 1976. Linklater's film is a funny, touching, and - surprisingly - heart-warming story of finding ones' way, selling out, peaking in high school, and imagining the future and ones' place in it. It's about the friendships we make and how so much of that plays a part in building our individual characters. Dazed & Confused is a cult classic which began the careers of Jason London, Adam Goldberg, Joey Lauren Adams, Cole Hauser, Nicky Katt, Parker Posey, and Matthew McConaughey. It's a thrill for Mr. Chavez & I to return to this classic and examine how so much of it mirrors our own lives. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Doug Liman's Go (1999) This week, we revisit an underseen/little-discussed comedy from 1999, Doug Liman's Go. In the 1990s cinema was overwhelmed by the influence, financial, and critical success of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction; any number of copycats and knock-offs would flood theaters. Probably, the very best, would be Liman's three-story, intersecting narrative of young adults, struggling with financial problems, bad choices, casual drug use and sales, and (comid) violence. As always, your WatchThis hosts springboard from Liman's film into a dialogue regarding our memories of the 1990s, the evolution of narrative style, the power and influence of pop-art, and the slow move into the 2000s. It's a fun talk regarding a film that deserves more attention. Take a listen as we reflect on this exciting, inventive, and fun postcard from 1999. With an early 90s "who's who" cast, including: Katie Holmes, Timothy Olyphant, Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, William Fichtner, Melissa McCarthy (very early), Desmond Askew, Taye Diggs, and (a wonderful ) Sarah Polley. Take a listen and let us know what you think - gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Eddie Martin's We Were Once Kids In a continuation of last week's episode on Larry Clark and Harmony Korine's 1995 Kids, Mr. Chavez & I discovered a documentary peeling back the layers of that problematic and controversial film. Although we continue to believe that the earlier film is - in many ways - exceptional, Eddie Martin's 2021 expose (produced with Kids actor, Hamilton Harris), titled We Were Once Kids, reveals much of the troubling nature behind the making of the 1995 film. Alleged exploitation, real-life drug use, alcoholism, manipulation, and the age-old story of Hollywood's predatory nature are all explored in a film that focuses on the misunderstandings, naiveté, and sadness of a group of teenage non-actors that many would argue were taken advantage of in the creation of Kids. Questionable casting methods, alleged real-life drug use in the film, financial exploitation, betrayal and abandonment, and - finally - the death of two of the stars of the film - Justin Pierce (Casper) and Harold Hunter (Harold). A sad story, but also (another) cautionary tale on the dangers of Hollywood and the exploitation of children. The conversation includes our opinions on the events in front of and behind the camera, as well as our own impressions based on our own experiences in LA over twenty + years. An interesting conversation that we hope you find compelling. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Robert DeNiro's The Good Shepherd This week we springboard off of Robert DeNiro's 2006 spy film, The Good Shepherd, profiling the birth of the Central Intelligence Agency and its role throughout the second half of the 20th Century. From its origins during the end of World War II thru The Cold War, The Bay of Pigs, and the early days of the Kennedy administration, DeNiro's passion project is a thought-provoking, detailed, and troubling examination of U.S. Foreign Policy. Mr. Chavez & I - as is our habit and purpose - use this film to examine our own impressions of the C.I.A., American National & Foreign policy, and the Class System that allows all of it to exist and prosper. From the secretive Yale society, Skull & Bones, that has given us at least two presidents, numerous senators and congressman, and untold CEOs, thru secret and illegal actions designed to topple governments, The Good Shepherd is forcing questions that we are eager to answer. Featuring an all-star cast including: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, William Hurt, Michael Gambon, Eddie Redmayne, Keir Dullea, John Turturro, Timothy Hutton, Alec Baldwin, and a briliant Joe Pesci. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks for Your Continued Support. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Ben Affleck's Argo (2012) In 2012 Ben Affleck would co-write and direct Argo, winning the Best Picture of the Year at at that year's Academy Awards celebration. Although a skillful and professional job it's - quite simply and obviously - a hack job, typical of the US's need to paint itself in the proper light while also giving Hollywood the opportunity to congratulate itself yet again (as well as short-changing the Canadian Government). An obvious and simplistic piece of political propaganda, Affleck's film continues the pattern of white-washing a serious topic while also reinforcing the idea that the US is the guardian, victim, and champion of the free world (whatever the hell that means). Democracy is safe because of the US's continued struggle against dissident elements throughout the world (in this case the Iranian Revolution). This week Mr. Chavez & I discuss the propaganda of this film, the role of the C.I.A. as saviour, dishonesty in storytelling and the note by note moments that make up a rescue mission movie. Take a listen, it's an interesting and relevant talk. Questions, Comments, Complaints & Suggestions: gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Denis Villeneuve's Arrival Since the beginning of this new century Popular Cinema has become increasingly obvious and simplistic. It is rare that a major studio will take a chance with "challenging, thought-provoking" material. In 2016 Denis Villeneuve would adapt Tony Chiang's 1998 novella "Story of Your Life" with a beautifully executed non-linear narrative. A sci-fi drama incorporating alien contact, geopolitics, diplomacy, and the perception of time, Villeneuve's film is a powerful and optimistic take on a genre that is often driven by pessimism and hopelessness. What could have easily been an overly formulaic bore is instead an intellectually demanding and cinematically rewarding experience that was recognized as one of the best pictures of 2016. Featuring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and - the always reliable - Forrest Whitaker, Arrival is a gift to the starved cineaste. As always, you can reach us at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut In 1999 filmmaker Stanley Kubrick would shoot his final cinematic statement. Adapting a 1926 Freudian novella, Kubrick would (seemingly) explore the dark mysteries of sexual trafficking, secret societies, infidelity, and the paranoia inherent in all of it. A Psycho-Sexual Drama centered around a Masked Ball Orgy and images that would haunt the minds of popular culture, Kubrick's Final Film is troubling, but not for the reasons one may think. Heralded as his "Final Masterpiece" upon its release, Eyes Wide Shut has become far more relevant in the 27 years since its debut. The controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein has forged new relevance for Kubrick's swan song, presenting a narrative that far too many film, political, and social critics have latched onto with a misplaced fervor. Celebrated for the light it shines on the powers that control this world, the depravity of their sexual practices, and the honesty Kubrick is credited with exposing, the film is - in actuality - an obvious and simplistic handling of the material. This week Mr. Chavez & I examine Eyes Wide Shut with a focus on on the reality of Jeffrey Epstein, The Epstein Files, National & International Politics, Wealth, and the Ruling Classes. Take a listen for, yet, another discussion of this troubling narrative. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Our Continued Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times In 1936 Charlie Chaplin (arguably the most iconic figure of Silent Films) would produce his final (mostly) silent masterpiece, Modern Times. This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our look at Cinema that challenges the status quo, with a film that examines the de-humanizing drive of capitalism to push profit over people and the subsequent endurance of the individual to survive all of it . Modern Times is a beautifully realized film that was born out of the imagination of a filmmaker whose own background ensures the honesty of the narrative. Modern Times is both funny and heartbreaking, honest and thought-provoking. Chaplin's final masterpiece (in this reviewer's opinion) is as relevant today as it has ever been. It's time we take a look at a brutal statement delivered to us in a manner that slowly works its way into our psyche and forces us to see that today's struggles are anything but new. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Remakes, Re-Imaginings, Expansions. In 2004 Director Jonathan Demme would explore the world of Politics, Espionage, and Cold War Brainwashing with a new and novel take on John Frankenheimer's 1962 Cold War Classic The Manchurian Candidate. Demme would expand and manipulate Richard Condon's source material (a best-selling novel from 1959), replacing the Korean Conflict with an updated Persian Gulf - and a replacement of Soviet and Chinese Communist manipulation with International Global Corporations holding the strings. Demme's update would be both more timely, relevant, frightening, and - somehow - reveal the problems with both films (at least in the mind of one of your hosts). This week Mr. Chavez & I discuss this very important film, its predecessor and its relevance in the current global environment. We discuss great performances from Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, and - a criminally underused - Meryl Streep. Take a listen and decide for yourself if we are correct, misguided, missing the point, or if we don't go far enough with our assessments. We'd love to hear from you - gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Iron Man 2026 finds us digging into the Beautiful, Strange, and Challenging filmography of auteurs unafraid of being misunderstood or the offensive nature of the stories and images they deliver. It would be difficult to find a film that challenges it audience more than Shinya Tsukamoto's 1989 Cyber-Punk Classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man. There is no simple way to describe this film, except that it is an over-powering assault on the mind. What Tsukamoto achieves is unlike anything else you will find in popular cinema, but also cult cinema, midnight movies, or experimental films. A commentary on capitalism, workforce, the poor, middle, and upper classes, and - finally - the human spirit. This is an incredible film that magnifies the struggles of the human experience, doing so with a production design that leans into the limited budget available to its director. A Powerful Film, unlike anything else on celluloid, Tetsuo: The Iron Man is an incredible achievement that rewards its audience in the most beautifully realized way. Take a listen and let us know what you think - gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow & James Foley's After Dark My Sweet This week Rick Ramos flies solo for a new episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos and the last new episode of 2025. After a heartfelt look at the past year, dreams, the job, and making sense of the art, we look at two Noirs that have been criminally overlooked: Robert Wise's 1959 Classic Odds Against Tomorrow and James Foley's After Dark My Sweet (1990). The episode is a deep dive into the power of Noir; how and why it continues to appeal to audiences and a continuing attempt to understand what "constitutes" Noir. One Man talking into the Darkness. Take a listen and let us know how you feel. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Our Continue Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain This week we continue our love for Midnight and Cult Movies. For this episode we return to the great Chilean-French filmmaker, Alejandro Jodorowsky. A Visionary Artist and Poet of the Cinema, Jodorowsky has created some of the most beautiful and challenging images and concepts ever conceived. Problematic, Polarizing, Poetic, and Personal, Jodorowsky's films exist as islands of beauty in a world of Cinema too often overwhelmed by commerce - established, continuinuing, and obvious proven projects, as well as "safe" childrens' fair. Jodorowsky digs deep into the humanity, history, and struggles of the species. The Holy Mountain is a powerful film that is not easily digested or - even - understood, but the poetry of the images in this film continue to haunt audiences since its release over a half century ago. Take a listen and make the decision if you wanto to make the dive into this beautiful and rewarding film. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many, Many Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.