Category Archives: Most Recent

Episode 106: New York Ninja (1984/2021)

Hello again!

We’re back with Erik’s pick this week, and we’re watching Vinegar Syndrome’s passion project, New York Ninja. This film was shot in 1984, and wasn’t completed until 2021. In the episode we dive into the interesting history behind this film, and the modern creation and resurrection of this lost gem. 

There’s a gang of thugs roaming the New York streets, quietly abducting women and selling them into international sex slavery. The ringleader of this operation is a maniacal murderer- ‘the Plutonium Killer’- and he has some VERY unusual abilities thanks to past radiation exposure via secret government experiments. If this sounds like a lot… it’s because it is. 

While witnessing one of the women being abducted on the streets, Nita Liu tries to interfere and is ultimately killed by the ruthless gang. After learning of the murder of his wife and unborn child, John becomes a vigilante in pursuit of justice and revenge.

After being thrust into the public eye by a local news crew, the masses dub John the “New York Ninja” and champion his vigilantism. His transformation into a folk hero is juxtaposed with severe disapproval by local law enforcement, who seem more intent on stopping John than making the gang of thugs pay for their crimes.

Will justice prevail? Will John take down this international crime cabal? Will we ever make sense of why the Plutonium Killer can inexplicably turn into other people? Join us on this episode to find out!

BUY NEW YORK NINJA FROM VINEGAR SYNDROME!!! NOW!!!

Episode 103: Phantom Raiders (1988)

Hello from the past!

From both 1988 when this movie came out, and from 2017 when we recorded this episode.
Let us not dwell on our extended absence (it’s boring, I promise).

… Because we’re back! The serendipitous discovery of an incredible looking movie (which we cover on next week’s episode) propelled us into dusting off the ol’ mixer, overcoming a dozen tech issues, and recording a brand spanking new episode for your ear holes. But first, enjoy this discussion about the 1988 Namsploitation flick, Phantom Raiders.

When the CIA learns that deep in the Vietnamese jungle, ex-Green Beret Colonel William Marshall is running a terrorist training camp for the Vietcong, they must act quickly to remove him from the situation… by any means necessary.

A rag-tag group of commandos led by general badass Python Lang (played by Miles O’Keeffe), and including Marshall’s own son, Howard, set off into the jungle. Their mission is to reason with Colonel Marshall and prevent him from further assisting the Vietcong. If he refuses, the group is tasked to take him out.

Will Howard be able to finally face down his father to save countless lives? Or will the task prove too much for a loving son?

Join us as we discuss the differences between balaclavas and baclava, gunfire as ambient noise, and ponder with us about why the HELL Miles O’Keeffe wasn’t in a hundred bigger and better movies than this in his heyday. 

It’s good to be back. 

Episode 102: .com For Murder (2001)

So, uh… we’re back?

After an extremely impromptu, year-long break- which was filled with a multitude of inconvenient life dookie we won’t bore you all with- we decided it’s the right time to dive back into SCC. HOW WE’VE MISSED YOU ALL. We’ve got a few episodes banked, one of which we will share with you today!

Our good friend Fallon joined us for this episode – exactly a year ago today – and it’s been waiting to see the light of day ever since. We watched the sad,misguided, hypothesis of our internet future… also known as the 2002 murder flick, .com for Murder.

Sondra is wheelchair-bound after a skiiing accident, and is recovering at the high-tech home of her boyfriend (unnecessarily played by Roger Daltrey). Bored and on the mend, she’s joined by her sister, Misty as she logs into American Love Online- pretending to be her boyfriend and chatting up his various contacts. After witnessing a live-feed of a murder in one of the chats, they enlist the help of FBI agent Matheson (played even more unnecessarily by Huey Lewis) to track down the killer. But after a while, Sondra and Misty start to suspect they might be the ones in danger…

Listen up as we reflect on the good ol’ days when Spencer’s Gifts could meet all your rubber fetus needs, and every chat room was filled with 14 year old females from Cali.
We’re back bitches!

Listen up!

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Episode 101: Welcome to Planet Earth (1996)

WELCOME TA EARF!

We were joined this week by our good friend (and local comic), Rob Pierce! He graced us- not only with his presence- but with a truly enjoyable second-class gem: Welcome to Planet Earth.

Our story begins with Joseph! Having just inherited his deceased mother’s boarding house in a dangerous urban neighborhood, he’s short on cash and desperate to find some tenants as soon as possible. Lucky for him, that very evening Charlie, Rhonda and their daughter Daphne show up on his doorstep- looking like they just stepped out of a Normal Rockwell painting, and needing a place to rent. At first it seems too good to be true, rich white folks with money to burn, who are all too pleased that Joseph wants to bang their daughter. But are they what they seem? Or are they aliens vacationing on Earth, here to take in all the sights and vigilante justice the inner-city has to offer? Only time will tell!

Welcome to Planet Earth stars George Wendt and Shanna Reed, and is truly a bizarre and unique film. We discuss this movie’s oddly adept social commentary and clever dialogue, the sexiness of violent women, and why Joseph’s mom loves singing in the graveyard.

Special Guest: Rob Pierce

Listen up!

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Episode 100: Horror House on Highway Five (1985)

Hot damn y’all, it’s our 100th Episode!

Thanks to all of you who have somehow stumbled upon us and continue to listen to our ridiculous banter. We’re so happy other people love these misfit films and want to celebrate them the same way we do- in a mockingly critical and often obnoxious manner. Especially when we’ve dropped off the earth for a while due to life, and you all still hit us up with new film recommendations and discussions on older episodes. We know we’ve been gone for a while, thanks for not making it weird. Also, thanks to all our friends, on this episode and every other, who are always down to watch bad movies and share their love and knowledge of trash cinema with us. We love you all.

For this super special occasion, we were joined by not one, not, two, not, three, but FOUR friends from previous episodes who came over to watch this flick with us… and for the first time ever we recorded a commentary during the movie (download the commentary here)! Tyler, Fallon, Gray and Aaron all came by to watch the newly restored Horror House on Highway Five, which we recently purchased from Vinegar Sydrome (you can purchase it here if you want to watch along with the commentary, or just in general: https://vinegarsyndrome.com/shop/horror-house-on-highway-5/ ). It was interesting, to say the least.

The synopsis of this film would tell you that it’s about a crazed psychopath who stalks the streets, wearing a Richard Nixon mask, murdering helpless victims… but is it really? We had a lot of fun trying to break down the various threads of story in this film, which weren’t always coherent… But hey, this is the second movie we watched recently that’s featured random Nazi -occult subplots! Also, ferns!

Enjoy!

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Email us at secondclasscinema@gmail.com


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Last chance to download the commentary track

Episode 97: Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

APOLOGIES, for our lengthy and unannounced absence, Citizens!
The last month has been a doozy and we had to take an unplanned break due to purchasing real-estate, sickness, ailments, Pokemon cards… the works. But we’re finally back this week with a fucking weird movie, which, of course, Jim joined us to watch.

This week Erik picked the 1989 cyber-punk, body-horror insanity that is Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Apparently this film is about a metal fetishist who is hit by a car and left for dead by the main character- known only as “Man”. The fetishist then seeks revenge by slowly causing the “Man” to grow random parts and appendages made of metal… Slowly turning him INTO metal.

Listen up as we try to discuss this truly bizarre film… We try to mask our confusion by struggling to discuss the plot, and having a grunting contest.

Listen up!

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Episode 92: One Man Force (1989)

If there’s anything we love more than a buddy-cop flick, it’s a movie where one partner dies, triggering the other’s epic quest for revenge. Which is precisely why Tom picked 1989’s One Man Force- starring ex-football star, John Matuszak. Also, fresh off being banned from the show for many, many months after making us watch Holy Mountain, our pal Jim is back to discuss this with us.

After a gang of drug-dealers murders his partner, LA cop Jake Swan goes rogue in his bloody quest for revenge. After being kicked off the force, Jake becomes a private investigator and methodically tracks down every slimeball that had a hand in his partners death. Jake slowly works his way up the ranks, culminating in the ultimate showdown, and proving you can trust no one!

Join us as we dissect this movie- we discuss the film’s plentiful but weak goon-game, it’s vague storytelling method, and we have an inordinately long, nonsensical debate about chain restaurants. Enjoy!


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Episode 91: Uninvited (1988)

Hello again, Citizens!
We’re back at it this week with a recommendation from our friend and fellow podcaster, Dave Bullis (@Dave_Bullis), and Dave recommended that we indulge in 1988’s Uninvited.. So that’s exactly what we did!

Uninvited follows a group of brain-dead college kids that offer to crew the yacht of a corrupt business man, in exchange for tagging along on a trip to the Cayman Islands. Little do they know that his business on the island is not exactly on the up-and-up… Nor do they know that the cute cat they brought aboard with them is an escaped genetic experiment, waiting to wreak havoc on them all!

If that sounds like a weirdly convoluted plot, then congratulations, you’re right up to speed! Listen up as we discuss demon cat-rats, disappointing makeup effects, and whether or not beastiality is consentual. Enjoy!


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