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Greg Araki's The Doom Generation  This week Mr. Chavez & I explore the 1990s with a cult film that is remembered as an early classic of New Queer Cinema. Greg Araki's The Doom Generation is remembered as a violent and trashy exploration of 1990s alternative cinmea.  A Gen X Bisexual Bonnie & Clyde/Badlands profile of alienation and stylized camp, Araki's film is the second edition of his "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy". For Mr. Chavez the episode is a nostalgic look at a film that left an impression; for me, the film is an attempt to understand a genre that was somehow missed. We both dive into a discussion sliding through our memories of the decade and our attitudes on what the genre and respective films would mean to a voice that had only been hinted at and often censored.  Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at [email protected] - 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 [email protected] - 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.

Larry Clark's Kids This week Mr. Chavez & I travel back to the mid-1990s to look at a difficult, troubling, and polarizing film that raises questions concerning good taste, artistic license and victimization, as well as exploitation. Few films have caused the uproar that Larry Clark's Kids did in 1995. A quasi-documentary examination of aimlessness in an alcohol, drug, and sex driven New York of the 1990s, Kids is troubling for its frankness and sexually explicit narrative depicting high school kids discussing and engaging in sex and drug taking in a manner ignorant of their dangers. With a storyline driven by alcohol and drug use, unprotected sex, violence, HIV, and utter hopelessness, the film is a snapshot of a time that feels frighteningly real. We discuss our memories of both the film and our experiences with our own versions of youth culture. Directed by Larry Clark, written by Harmony Korine, and introducing both Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson, Kids is a cinematic time jump that forces an uncomfortable discussion. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always we can be reached at [email protected] - Our Continued Heartfelt 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 [email protected] - 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.

Stefano Solima's Sicario: Day of the Soldado This week we discuss the struggle between the United States, its neighbors, allies, and enemies depicted in the Taylor Sheridan scripted,  Stefano Solima directed, 2018  C.I.A. action thriller detailing border wars, fabricated criminal kidnappings, cartel violence, and the never-ending, never winnable drug wars. Exciting performances from Josn Brolin and Benicio del Toro ignite this story, giving Mr. Chavez & myself a place to begin our own impressions, opinions, and thoughts concerning these matters. As always, there's a great deal to say. Take a listen and let us know what you think - [email protected] - 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.

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: [email protected] - 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.

Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog  Nothing's Changed/Nothing's New and we learned that in 1996 with Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog. As important 30 years later as when it was released, this week Mr. Chavez & I sit down to understand a film that predicted its own time (being released a few weeks before The Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky White House Scandal would break), but is also a simpler and almost quaint version of Epstein, Donald Trump, and Ol' Billy Jeff returning to relevance. A Sex Scandal covered up by a Manufactured War, revealing the spin doctoring and propaganda that fuels every election, Wag the Dog is the rare film that grows bolder and more prescient as years pass and facts fight to be discovered. Featuring great performances from Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman (hilarious, exaggerated, and on point), and a supporting cast including Anne Heche, Willie Nelson, Denis Leary, William H. Macy, and a ridiculously unhinged Woody Harrelson, Wag the Dog has volumes to say about our government, The White House, political parties, and the lying, cheating bastards that run the machine. Take a listen for a fun and enlightening conversation. As always, we can be reached at [email protected] - 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 [email protected]. 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.

Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story Recognized as "The Greatest Film of All Time" in the 2012 Sight and Sound Magazine poll, Yasujiro Ozu's 1953 masterpiece is a quiet, contemplative examination of generational conflict, modernization, and aging in Post-War Japan. Masterfully directed and beautifully acted by Ozu's stock company, including Chishū Ryū and Setsuko Hara, Tokyo Story is arguably the greatest film in Ozu's ouvreau and one of the most powerful examples of slow cinema.  A minimalist masterpiece that few directors have attempted to emulate, Ozu is a director that all cineastes eventually arrive at and - often. - find themselves unable to forget. This is a beautiful film that we are thrilled to bring to you. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always we can be reached at [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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.

Pier Paolo Pasolini's Saló, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) For most serious cineastes, Pier Paolo Pasolini's Saló, or the 120 Days of Sodom is a bridge that we all arive at and struggle with crossing; a cinematic rite of passage that challenges each of our ideas of art. Is Pasolini's final film - an interpretation of the Marquis de Sade's The 120 Days of Sodom - A Political Critique exploring Fascism and Fascist Abuse or simply an opportunistic and transgressive exploitation piece designed to simply shock without artistic merit? Fifty-one years later, audiences continue to be disgusted, angered, confused, excited, and polarized by a film that many consider a masterpiece of Italian Cinema. This week Mr. Chavez & I struggle with these same reactions as we watch this film in the long shadow of a 2026 rife with controversy: ICE, The Epstein Files, Murder, Political Lies & Propaganda and - of course - the heavy and hateful hand of the Trump Administration and its Leader. Take a listen and ask yourself how you truly feel about these issues. As always we can be reached at [email protected]. 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.

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 [email protected]. 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.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis In 1927 Cinema was still in its relative infancy. The great German auteur, Fritz Lang would revolutionize the film industry with his first masterpiece, Metropolis. Nearly eleven years earlier D.W. Griffith had established the "grammar of cinema" with his epic masterpiece, The Birth of a Nation. The subsequent decade would showcase spectacles (Ben-Hur, Intolerance), comedies (The Gold Rush, The General), and dramatic classics (Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, The Last Laugh). Cinematic Science Fiction would be attempted as early as 1902 with Melie's A Voyage to the Moon, however it would take nearly a quarter of a century for Sci-Fi to reveal its technical brilliance and possibilities with Lang's masterpiece. While an incredibly innovative, beautiful, and groundbreaking film, Lang's narrative (from a treatment and screenplay by his wife and artistic partner, Thea von Harbou), continues - or is the beginning - of the lazy and apologetic "White Savior" cinematic trope that has continued from Lawrence of Arabia thru Dances with Wolves, and most recently, Avatar and Dune. This week Mr. Chavez & I go back to the argument that we have made before and will continue to make regarding this insulting and problemtic cinematic trope. Each generation seems to want to tell its own version of this story without recognizing the inherent hypocrisy of a society and culture victimized by the elite while simultaneously needing to be saved by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed messiah (in this case a billionaire suddenly aware of his "mediator destiny" and responsibility to his "brothers"). Yes, we recognize the technical and production brilliance of this film, while at the same time being unable to ignore (or excuse) the obvious and insulting simplicity of its narrative. It is possible to simultaneoulsy admire and take issue with a work of art. Take a listen and ask yourself if you agree. Let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at [email protected] - 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 - [email protected] - 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.

John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate  On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss a classic of Cold War, Political Cinema, John Frankenheimer's groundbreaking 1962 The Manchurian Candidate. Based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon, Frankenheimer's film would captivate audiences with a paranoid and chilling story of American soldiers brain-washed by Soviet and North Korean intelligence agencies to act as hypnotized robots. There are aspects of the film that are certainly far-fetched, however the core of the story is very real and a credible warning in its depiction of national and international struggles for power. As always, Mr. Chavez & I look at the film in the broader context of the world it depicts. There is a great deal to discuss here as well as the comparison/contrast that we will undertake when we discuss Jonathan Demme's 2004 re-interpreation in our next episode. It's a fun and exciting talk concerning one of our favorite topics. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at [email protected] - 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.