Watch This With Rick Ramos

Latest Episodes:

#171 - Remembering R. Lee Ermey - WatchThis w/RickRamos Apr 27, 2018

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On this week's episode of WatchThis W/Rick Ramos I'm flying solo in The Fortress of Ultimate Darkness. A quick look back at the life and work of Military Vet and Unexpected Movie Star who passed away on May 15th from complications of Pneumonia. Of course you can't talk Ermey without discussing Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War Classic, Full Metal Jacket (1987), but I also take a look at Tim Robbin's Dead Man Walking, Alan Parker's Mississippi Burning, and Ted Demme's Life. Take a listen and remember a great (under appreciated) screen presence. Thanks for the continued love & support.

#170 - Questions W/Ibrahim - WatchThis W/RickRamos Apr 18, 2018

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On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos we take a minute to get personal and talk about The Art of Cinema. Sit back and take a listen as I ask Mr. Chavez a series of questions designed to get to the core of his beliefs and opinions regarding Cinema. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, thank you for the continued love and support. Questions, Comments, Problems, and Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com.

#169 - TheCultureOfCool - WatchThis W/RickRamos Apr 16, 2018

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On this week's episode of WatchThis w/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I, once again, sit down in The Fortress of Ultimate Darkness to discuss a fascinating topic - The Culture of Cool and all that can be defined as such (or, at least, as much as we can get to). From Icons of Cool, Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Robert Mitchum through todays stars that are able to carry that mantle. We talk imagery in film, it's influence on society, but also the African origins of "Cool" and how these influences continue to influence our world. So sit back, pour a whiskey, and take a listen to the opinions of two guys. We thank you for your continued support.

#168 - A Survey of NativeAmerican Cinema - WatchThis W/RickRamos Apr 04, 2018

Show notes

This week Ibrahim & I get back to our discussion of the portrayals of Native Americans in Cinema. Spanning the Silent Film Era and the John Ford Legacy of "The Red Savage" into the re-evaluation of Native Cultures beginning with Arthur Penn's 1979 Dustin Hoffman classic, Little Big Man, and into the 1990's resurgence with Kevin Costner's Academy Award Winning Revisionist Western, Dances With Wolves. We finish this study with a look at the Native push to make personal films that come from Native writers, directors, producers, and actors. There are some beautiful and powerful examples of Cinema in this discussion as well as a look at documentaries, namely, Neil Diamond's Reel Injuns (2009) - a fascinating study of the history of American Indians in Cinema. There's a lot said, a few moments of anger and frustration, and a great deal of hope as we discover the gems hidden in the trash of American Cinema. As always, Our Thanks & Love go out to you guys!

#167 - Questions from Ibrahim - WatchThis w/RickRamos Mar 30, 2018

Show notes

Trying something a bit different with the podcast . . . this second episode of the week, Ibrahim & I sit down in The Fortress of Ultimate Darkness to answer a few questions about Cinema. A little over twenty minutes of one guy asking another guy questions. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, Thanks for the Love & Support!

#166 - Pulp Fiction@24 - WatchThis W/RickRamos Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

Going back to a favorite . . . a flick that that set off the Independent Movement of the 1990's, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994). This week Ibrahim & I talk about this groundbreaking movie and what it has meant to both Cinema and the Culture. There's not much else to write so just take a listen.

Twenty-four years is a long time to spend thinking about a film. With that in mind I think we've done a pretty good job breaking this one down.

Questions, Comments, Problems, Suggestions, & Support can be sent to gondoramos@yahoo.com. As Always, Thanks & Love.

#165 - Leonard Peltier, John Trudell, & The American Indian Movement - WatchThis w/RickRamos Mar 20, 2018

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We're getting a bit personal on this week's episode of WatchThis w/RickRamos, as Ibrahim & I talk about a particularly important topic in our lives. In 1992 I stumbled on Michael Apted's Incident at Oglala - a film chronicling the late 70's persecution of The American Indian Movement and the railroading of Leonard Peltier in the deaths of two F.B.I. agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. This film lit a spark that has proven to be one of the most important cinematic experiences of my life. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to talk about this case. In addition to this documentary, we take a look at Apted's fictional dramatization of many of these events with his Thunderheart (from the same year) starring Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, and an exceptional performance from Graham Greene. We pepper this episode with a look at the late Native American Spoken Word artist, John Trudell, in the documentary profile Trudell (2005) directed by Heather Rae. There's a lot of remembrance and emotion in this episode. Take a listen and let us know what you think - gondoramos@yahoo.com. As always, Thanks & Love.

#164 - Gun Control - WatchThis W/RickRamos Mar 06, 2018

Show notes

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down in The Fortress of Ultimate Darkness to talk Gun Control. No doubt a difficult subject, we take a look at a few documentaries that examine this divisive issue. We look at Emil Chiaberi's 2010 documentary Murder By Proxy: How America Went Postal (AKA Going Postal). A heartfelt and thought-provoking examination of workplace violence and the people it has affected. We also take a look at William Gazecki's Waco: Rules of Engagement, a film that looks at the mid-'90's struggle between the Branch Davidians and the ATF which resulted in death, controversy, and questionable governmental action. We finish with Michael Moore's 2001 Cannes Award winning documentary Bowling for Columbine which looks at the events of April 20th 1999 in which two "loner" high school students opened fire on their fellow classmates. Using this as a jumping off point, Moore goes onto examine the overpowering role of gun culture in the US. Not so much an examination of these films, but a thorough and (sometimes) frustrating discussion of a painful subject. Take a listen and let us know what you think - gondoramos@yahoo.com. As always our thanks and appreciation.

#163 - Unforgiven (Eastwood & The Japanese Remake) - WatchThis w/RickRamos Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to talk one of my favorite films, Clint Eastwood's 1992 Best Picture winning masterpiece, Unforgiven. Yeah, I've talked about this film in the past, but it's an entirely different thing when you sit down to discuss the same film with someone whom you respect and whose opinion you value. So this week we find ourselves sitting in The Fortress of Ultimate Darkness reflecting on our pasts including the achievements and mistakes that have brought us to this place in our mutual lives. The beauty of cinema is what it makes us think about ourselves and this is a film that is overpowering in that regard. Watching it for the umpteenth time only reinforces that fact. To add to our understanding of this film we also take a look at Lee Sang-il's 2013 remake, Yurusarezaru Mono, starring the great Ken Watanabe. It is rare that a film remake can bring such depth and understanding to the original material, and also reinterpret it with a consciousness that takes into account the necessity of telling it's own story. This was what we were facing and we hope that you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it. As always, Questions, Comments, Problems, & Support can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks!

#162 - Elvis & Michael - WatchThis W/RickRamos Feb 13, 2018

Show notes

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I tackle one of the great all-time musical comparisons. This week we look at the lives of The (So-Named) King of Rock 'N Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley and The (Equally Ridiculously Named) King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson. When Ibrahim & I started thinking about the lives of these two incredible artists it became obvious that we would have to turn the microphone on and get our thoughts down. From their equally humble beginnings, incredibly swift and lightning-like rise, ground-breaking and revolutionary roles in popular music, and - ultimately - tragic, drug-induced deaths, it would be difficult to ignore the similarities. To get this episode down we take a look at Kenny Ortega's This Is It, chronicling Michael Jackson's rehearsals for his final concert tour, Jackson's numerous ground-breaking videos, as well as Elvis' '68 Comeback Concert, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, and Don Coscarelli's Bubba-Ho-Tep. We hope you find this talk interesting. Thanks for the love and continued support. Questions, Problems, Suggestions, and Good Words can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Thanks!

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