The Flick Lab

In this episode of the podcast, Karri and Henrik analyze 8 creepy stories of the horror anthology film The Field Guide to Evil. Each film is from a different country and is supposed to tell a tale of dark folklore. Is that true though and how well do the films gel together in this anthology?

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

The title ‘Robocop’ may sound cheesy, but is descriptive. The first movie is often celebrated by critics and mortals alike, but the sequels are in a downward spiral. Here’s why.

Films covered in this episode:
Robocop (1987)
Robocop 2 (1990)
Robocop 3 (1993)
Robocop (2014)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

Wong Kar-wai, the pivotal Hong Kong -based film director is known around the world for his distinct non-linear storytelling, gangster films and artistic love stories. We now venture into his love trilogy, a film recommendation by podcast listener Kimmo. We have previously looked at the director’s other work Chungking Express (1994) with guest Mitch Tam, which can be listened here.

Films covered in this episode:
Days of Being Wild (1990)
In the Mood for Love (2000)
2046 (2004)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

What went wrong with the Terminator sequels after the two original James Cameron movies? Karri and Henrik touch on the constant changes of studios, the revolving doors of actors, repeating story lines, poor dialogue, the difficulties of playing a terminator, the excess nature of modern action film-making, and other topics.

Films covered in this episode:
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Terminator: Salvation (2009)
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Apologies for some audio issues on this episode.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

Bela Tarr’s over 7-hour film is one of the longest movies in the world. The Hungarian director’s work is based on the novel by Laszlo Krasznahorkai. Karri and Henrik are investigating the footsteps of Chinese director Hu Bo’s “godfather”. Why is the film so long and is the length justified? Is it one of the greatest films ever seen? Is the film seen merely as a challenge not so much for its artistic merits but for its runtime? 

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

It’s episode #150 and it’s time for some celebration with mostly non-movie topics. Zachary Pen joins us to discuss mass shootings in the US, NATO and Finland, social media, paper vs. digital, language quirks, the future of The Lab, all kinds of indecent things, and more.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

What have Karri and Henrik been watching for the last years? What to recommend, what to avoid? We’ve never stopped to discuss the films we’ve watched on our ‘own time’, outside the podcast analyses. Here’s our recommendations and grievances.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

Better late than never. Here’s our long overdue recap of the 94th Academy Awards. Who won? Does it matter? Did Will Smith inadvertently slap the Oscars back into relevancy? Is there any value in even discussing the Oscars? Was the Jada Pinkett Smith joke a step too far? Is the Ukraine War detrimental to trans people specifically? Is Jennifer Lawrence fat? To be brutally honest with you, we can assure you we don’t give a damn.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

What is real? Is the film depicting reality? Is it all about perspective? Is even fantasy involved? Is in fact anything burning in ‘Burning’? Is the protagonist a ‘serial masturbator’?

Films covered in this episode:
Burning (버닝, 2018), directed by Lee Chang-dong. Starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

[!! NOTE: THIS EPISODE IS APRIL FOOLS FOR THE FIRST 40 MINS.] The Academy Awards 2022, part 3 of 3: A Political Car Crash. Two male writers write a movie about a promiscuous young woman adrift in life, with heavy drug use presented in a positive light. Hey, what could go wrong? Apparently nothing, you get nominated for an Oscar for it. The Norwegian Oscar contender ‘The Worst Person in the World’ is the most bizarre cinematic experience of the last few years. It is a slacker-inspired dramedy which mishmashes ‘shrooms and witchcraft into capturing a soulmate’s soul. Additionally, the film supports the abolition of traditional morality and uses CGI to remove the real truth about its filming locations. Karri and Henrik investigate what in the world is going on here.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.