Reserved Recommendations

31/07/2026

With the sad passing of National Treasure Sam Neill, it seemed only fitting that we look at probably his weirdest role - Andrzej Żuławski's 1981 divorce-(monster)-horror movie "Possession".

Neill plays Mark, a spy (and dog assassin?) who abandons his job in order to return to his family, only to find that his wife Anna (a truly haunted-looking Isabelle Adjani) has been having an affair, and wants a divorce. As he begins to investigate (and to attempt a reconciliation with Anna), it becomes clear that something much much worse is happening. At no point does anyone behave in a manner remotely resembling a "normal human".

Elizabeth Little returns to the show, alongside her friend Errol, to discuss this entirely singular entry in Sam Neill's filmography and unpack the many many layers of potential interpretation, and the strange emotional logic that powers this fascinating and deeply uncomfortable movie.

Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/reserved-recs-93-possession, find the show via Manawatu People's Radio at https://mpr.nz/show/reserved, or look for "Reserved Recommendations" on your favourite podcatcher.

17/07/2026

"The Polar Express" (2004) is a divisive movie, in which 6 separate Tom Hankses (Toms Hanks?) hold conversations with one another in different voices and neither of the two primary characters actually have names. It attempts to adapt a very quiet, dreamlike picture book into a riotous early 00's 3D animated adventure movie and makes a series of completely deranged choices in trying to bridge that gap.

It's also one of Whai's favourite movies, due in part to being one of the three he owned as a kid young enough to be in this movie's target audience.

Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/res-rec-92-polar-express, and find past episodes via Manawatu People's Radio at https://mpr.nz/show/reserved (or wherever you get your podcasts!)

19/06/2026

Saul Bass is a guy whose work you have definitely seen, even if you don't know it. Between 1954 and 1995 (along with his wife Elaine) he provided title sequences and posters for a staggering array of movies, in addition to designing some of the most recognisable and iconic logos for major American corporations.

In 1974, he made his directorial debut with a quiet, meditative, cerebral science fiction movie about hyperintelligent ants and a pair of scientists attempting to study them. Phase IV, partly due to horrible mismarketing, and partly just by dint of being very odd, was a commercial flop and largely put paid to Bass's directorial career. Elizabeth Little (author of the astounding "You Will Die In This Place") joins the podcast to discuss why she loves this movie nonetheless.

100% YELLOW.

Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/res-rec-91-phase-iv and find older episodes via Manawatu People's Radio at www.mpr.nz/show/reserved (or wherever you get your podcasts!)

15/05/2026

Russ Meyer's "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!" (1965) might be the ur-example of a cult movie. Widely derided as trash on its release, it has been re-evaluated as a camp classic and is now regarded (amongst other things) as part of the weird overlap of Venn circles where the creator's thinly-disguised fe**sh (in this case enormous powerful women running amok) also leads to an oddly-empowering portrayal of feminine strength.

This episode I'm joined by Erin Harrington, whose day job as an academic involves studying and discussing cinema and "paracinema", to talk about her abiding love for this gleefully incoherent piece of "lady kaiju" or possibly "garbage wuxia".

Listen here: https://bit.ly/res_rec-90-faster_pussycat_kill_kill, find past episodes via Manawatu People's Radio at www.mpr.nz/show/reserved, or subscribe by looking for "Reserved Recommendations" on your favourite podcast platform!

30/01/2026

"The Howling III: The Marsupials" (1987) was genuinely the stuff of schoolyard legend when I was in primary school in the early 90s, due to a notorious sequence involving a female lycanthrope giving birth to a "joey" who seeks refuge in her pouch. I did not, however, know what this rumoured movie was *actually called* until I came across author and journalist Asher Elbein (www.asherelbein.com) on Bluesky talking about it.

He very kindly agreed to come on the show to discuss it, and when I finally watched it I was *fascinated*. I had expected something good-bad and schlocky (and "The Howling III" is definitely both of those things) but this movie also has surprisingly deep and complex ideas on its mind about ecology and indigenous people's rights and struggles, and a strange and compelling folk-tale logic which is quite unique.

It is a very weird swerve for a franchise which already took a weird swerve between the first and second movie, and which established itself initially for (as well as having some great gnarly 80's transformation sequences) being the *h***y* werewolf series - and if you watch it, you will find yourself thinking about it for quite some time.

Listen here: https://bit.ly/res_rec-87-the_howling_III, find the backlog of older episodes via People's Radio at www.mpr.nz/show/reserved, or look for "Reserved Recommendations" wherever fine pods are cast!

23/01/2026

Originally started by Peter Furler and George Perdikis in 1985, Newsboys are such an enduring mainstay of Christian rock that the band is still going strong absent any of the original members. Over that 40 year career, their sound has changed so drastically that if you say that you either love or hate Newsboys, the only logical response is "which Newsboys?" In addition, if you are a Kiwi or Aussie of approximately my vintage, you probably know their song "Take Me To Your Leader" which was a brief crossover hit here, and will earworm you for weeks if you go and look it up.

For my first new episode of 2026, I'm joined by the illustrious Josh Boerman from Worst Of All Possible Worlds and Ill Conceived, who grew up in the evangelical world that spawned and nurtured this strange (and now kind of evil) band so that he can explain The Phenomenon.

Listen here: https://bit.ly/res_rec-86 and find older episodes via Manawatu People's Radio at www.mpr.nz/show/reserved (or wherever you get your podcasts!)

09/01/2026

Tonight's holiday repeat episode is Ross Palethorpe talking about Dark Star, the deeply weird dark comedy that contains the seeds of Alien....

Reserved Recommendations is a podcast series about problematic faves, great trash, and difficult relationships with art and culture. This is the fifty third ...

02/01/2026

Tonight's holiday repeat is Spec Ops: The Line with Angus!

Reserved Recommendations is a podcast series about problematic faves, great trash, and difficult relationships with art and culture. This is the sixty fifth ...

26/12/2025

MPR is shut for the holidays so we're playing repeats until I can record some new eps in the new year. Tonight's broadcast episode is Shannon Strucci on Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo!

Reserved Recommendations is a podcast series about problematic faves, great trash, and difficult relationships with art and culture. This is the sixty second...

12/12/2025

Admittedly, I love me a novelty instrumental cover (ask me about my surf rock habit) but I've never really understood the cringe that greets the mention of ska music. Part of this is probably being a Kiwi - we have a slightly different relationship with the pop-punk side of ska music than Americans do - but I've always felt like people who didn't appreciate the genre just hadn't found the good stuff yet.

Elana and John (last heard on the Hair Metal episode) return to the show to give me an American perspective, and we chat about the high points of ska and how to find your way in as a newcomer.

Listen here: https://bit.ly/res_rec-85 on Manawatu People's Radio or wherever you get your podcasts!