July 16, 2026
F
Filmmaker Commentary
  • Home
  • About
  • Episodes
  • Film
  • TV
  • Home
  • About
  • Episodes
  • Film
  • TV
Podcast

FMC 126: The Wraith Written and Directed by Mike Marvin

May 2, 2022
Listen on Apple Spotify YouTube
Listen to this episode
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Also on Apple Spotify YouTube

This episode of Filmmaker Commentary takes a deep dive into the cult classic “The Wraith,” uncovering behind-the-scenes drama, cinematic influences, and the surprising legacy of Mike Marvin’s 80s action film. Join Reginald Titus Jr. and Casey G. Smith as they dissect everything from the film’s unique aesthetic to the infamous production challenges and the fascinating post-release trivia that makes this movie a true B-movie gem.

What We Cover

  • The surprising financial realities of “The Wraith,” including its budget, box office, and the completion bond drama.
  • Director Mike Marvin’s unconventional filmmaking techniques, like shooting at 6 frames per second for high-octane action.
  • The unexpected visual influences from “Back to the Future” and the film’s pioneering contribution to car commercial aesthetics.
  • Behind-the-scenes accounts, including an on-set tragedy and the director’s subsequent struggle in Hollywood.
  • A look at “The Wraith”‘s memorable practical effects, glorious explosions, and how its style influenced future productions.
  • The enduring impact of 80s B-movie tropes, from “helpless women” to over-the-top villains and absent parents.

Key Moments

  • (0:33) Exploring “The Wraith”‘s surprising PG-13 rating and its gritty 80s aesthetic.
  • (1:50) Unpacking the financial controversy behind the film’s production and completion bond.
  • (3:30) Speculating on the multiverse-shattering revelations teased in the “Doctor Strange” sequel trailer.
  • (15:10) Debating the deeply emotional and tragic narrative arcs found in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
  • (29:30) Dissecting the film’s unexpected music politics and the mystery of missing soundtrack songs.
  • (48:30) Highlighting the “brilliant” special effects of the Wraith’s motorcycle transformation sequence.

Gear & Films Mentioned

  • Films: The Wraith (1986), Back to the Future (1985), Creed 3 (upcoming), Fantastic Beasts series, The Flash (upcoming), The Northman (2022), The Bad Guys (2022), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Girls Gone Wild documentary, Pam & Tommy (2022), Atlanta (TV series), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Halo (TV series), Moon Knight (TV series), Winning Time (TV series), Hill Street Blues (TV series), Spider-Man (1981 TV series), Abbott Elementary (TV series), The Wonder Years (TV series), Starman (1984), Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), The Last Dragon (1985), French Connection (1971), Road Warrior (1981), Deadpool 2 (2018), Rust (upcoming), Wall Street (1987), Platoon (1986)
  • Artists/Bands: Robert Palmer, Billy Idol, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue

Listener Questions

  • How did “The Wraith” manage a PG-13 rating despite its intense action and suggestive themes?
  • What was the real story behind the film’s modest box office success and the controversial completion bond?
  • Which 80s B-movie tropes does “The Wraith” exemplify, and how do they hold up today?
  • How much influence did other 80s films like “Back to the Future” have on “The Wraith”‘s visual style, a question often discussed on Filmmaker Commentary?

Full Transcript

Read the full transcript

Full Episode Transcript
This episode of Filmmaker Commentary the 1986 film "The Wraith," discussing its production, themes, and impact, alongside current film news and personal viewing recommendations.

Opening Discussion: "The Wraith" Overview and Production Notes
Reginald Titus Jr.: Filmmaker Commentary, episode 126. Welcome to Filmmaker Commentary, where we give you insights from our favorite filmmaking commentaries. These commentaries can be heard on your DVD and Blu-rays of your favorite movies. We'll show you how you can use these commentaries and apply them to improve your video production and filmmaking techniques. All of this here on Filmmaker Commentary. I'm your host, Reginald Titus Jr.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Welcome to another episode of Filmmaker Commentary. Reginald Titus Jr. I'm joined with...
Casey G. Smith: Casey G. Smith. Welcome back, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Good to be back, sir. And today, we're talking about The Wraith, directed by Mike— oh, written and directed by Mike Marvin. Rated PG-13.
Casey G. Smith: They were lenient.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yes, sir. It should have been rated R. I was surprised when I saw it was PG-13. I'm like, how? How was that?
Casey G. Smith: They're very lenient in the '80s, dude.
Reginald Titus Jr.: '80s. Um, what did we have like for budget and box office?
Casey G. Smith: It came out with a budget of approximately 2.7 million. The director said it could have been between 2.7 and 3.4, something like that. But IMDb gives 2.7 million worldwide and a U.S. domestic box office of 3.5 million.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wow. What do you think?
Casey G. Smith: I think it, it just, you know, more or less broke even once you put in the P&L, so...
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, um, to kind of add to what the director was saying. He said, you know, when he said between 2.7 and 3, he said like, kind of depends on who you ask and who's like the most pissed off.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, yeah, who's the most pissed off about it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Um, but he said he signed a completion bond for $5.4 million.
Casey G. Smith: He said somebody's getting—there's a lot of bonuses that went out. He doesn't know to who, but some people got some extra cash.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's it's kind of messed up too because this movie looks so good that I mean, that extra million or two, I they really would have benefited, you know, if they would have added, you know, just having it some longer days. Anyhow, that's my own opinion. But that's messed up, but it makes perfect sense, you know, why things are the way they are.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Um, but at any rate, before we dive further, what year did this come out?
Casey G. Smith: '86.
Reginald Titus Jr.: 1986. Um, yeah.
Casey G. Smith: '86, heck of a, well, '84 is heck of a year for movies. I'm sure '86 didn't do bad for itself either.
Reginald Titus Jr.: '84, what movie comes, what movie comes to mind?
Casey G. Smith: Wasn't Ghostbusters, was Ghostbusters '84, or was it '86?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Well, no. That uh, the suit inside of this film, when he has a suit, it reminds me of Back to the Future when he's in the hazmat, you know, going to um, was that his father, you know, going to his place when he was younger and being in that suit.
Casey G. Smith: To see George.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, yeah, that that's what that suit in The Wraith reminds me of that Back to the Future scene.
Casey G. Smith: Hmm.
Reginald Titus Jr.: But anyhow, before we talk further about The Wraith, let's talk about news and movies wide.

News and Movie Updates: Legal Battles, DC Struggles, and Franchise Success
Casey G. Smith: All right. In the news, according to IndieWire, actor Jonathan Majors says he was punched in the face a little over 100 times while filming Creed III.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wow.
Casey G. Smith: Also reported that he got so big and jacked for the role that when he went to the Oscars, his wristband wouldn't even fit. He said he just kept getting bigger and bigger.
Reginald Titus Jr.: 100. Blows to the face.
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir. Creed III, which will also be Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's kind of cool.
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Uh, that's some good news. Do they know, when is that coming out?
Casey G. Smith: Uh, I think, um, somewhere between October and December, I think, of this year.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wow. I'm with it. Great franchise. I mean, heck of a spin-off. Shout out. Kruger.
Casey G. Smith: Heck yeah. Shout out.
Casey G. Smith: Also in the news, of course, according to Buzzfeed.com, Ezra Miller once again in the news for his conduct outside of his acting and not necessarily for the best reasons. Uh, he has, of course, been a part of the The DCEU playing The Flash. In Justice League, he's also in an upcoming movie Flash, Flashpoint, that he's starring in. Also in Fantastic— The Fantastic Beasts series. And uh, but unfortunately, in as many months, the 29-year-old Ezra has been arrested two times in Hawaii and has also been the subject of a restraining order in a separate incident.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That is wild.
Casey G. Smith: Apparently, it was at a house function, was asked to leave and threw a chair and hit uh, hit a young lady in the face.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Ouch. No.
Casey G. Smith: Whether it was intentional that he was throwing it at her or not, I think, I don't think it's still the same.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Still the same. She's still hit nonetheless.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Dear God. Um, what was I gonna say? Man, I liked him as a Flash. Um, when do you know when Flashpoint and all that was supposed to come out?
Casey G. Smith: Uh, Flashpoint may maybe this year. It's supposed to have a lot going on with it. Uh, and kind of--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Positive or more negative?
Casey G. Smith: Uh, well, initially kind of positive. It was supposed to be kind of like a reset point for the DCEU because of the ability to, you know, time travel and all kinds of stuff. Like Michael Keaton was supposed to like reprise, you know, his role as Batman. He's on set and all that kind of stuff. It's supposed to be like pretty...
Reginald Titus Jr.: That'd be dope.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, pretty, pretty big.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Come on, Ezra, don't mess this up.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, I'm with it. Um, um, yeah, I actually enjoyed him as a Flash. But, uh, how are you out here beating up the public?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, cuz there were other incidents where he, he got into it with people. Like he, like, wrestled a lady and--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Why is he, what's up with him and these women?
Casey G. Smith: I don't know, man. It's been, uh--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Come on, Flash.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Um, and I also know like, in this kind of environment, this is not the time to be getting into any kind of trouble because people are counselled left and right and if any corporation feels like they're in danger with their affiliation with you, they'll, hey, we just will take your program off.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, apparently that same article was saying that Warner Brothers had some secret meetings behind the doors about what they're gonna do with Ezra Miller's behavior. And I think at this point, unfortunately, I think they they have to do something because this is like repeated. He had just got in the news and was uh, had gotten arrested like maybe two, three weeks ago. And now another incident. So this is, so, I mean, I don't know. Maybe he needs some help. And hopefully he can, he can get that. But right now, you know, with these little violent outbursts, something, something has to be, has to be done.
Reginald Titus Jr.: True.
Casey G. Smith: And I I don't want to see anybody's career in in danger. But if you become a danger to to other people and potentially yourself, then you know, you need some, you need some help.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Speaking of danger of other people, um, all last week, I just kept seeing like on pop news, is the Johnny Depp and what's her name? Amber Heard.
Casey G. Smith: Amber Heard.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Like just all week just seeing bullet point. I didn't even know like they were like in court. But I was on YouTube and it said, coming like, it was like a live feed and saying, you know, see the courtroom of Johnny Depp and da da da. So apparently that's a thing that's been dragged out for a long time. And it's a lot of crazy stuff in their relationship. I mean, you wouldn't believe. And, uh, but Johnny Depp is so, um, charismatic, you know, he's got the, he's got like the audience in the palm of his hands in the courtroom. They're like laughing because of like the redundancy of the questions and, yeah, it's, it's a very interesting. If you can get like a little, you know, little quick bite, uh, little montage of that watching on YouTube, it's just a little funny thing to look at. But, uh, but the court, but the courtroom stuff was boring.
Casey G. Smith: Gotcha. That thing has been circling around the media for you, for years now. Almost four or five years it seems, cuz initially it was, it kind of painted him in a in a bad light. Like he had stricken her, like he was being abusive. And that may be the case, I don't know all the details. But then it eventually came out that she was also being being abusive. I say also in parentheses because again, I don't know if it was confirmed on his part. Maybe they were both were. But eventually came out that she was also being abusive. I don't know.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It's rough. It's it's it's not looking good for her, especially when she has people that are like actively like against her, you know, other actresses and it look, it's bad. It's it's very bad. Um, and the stuff that she's accused of, man, it's disgusting. It's like Ezra, but the woman version. You know. Straight up. Man, but that acting stuff, man, it I don't know what it is or what causes kind of people to go in that deep in sometimes. But it's definitely there.
Casey G. Smith: It's Who knows if it's taking certain roles and going into certain characters and then not knowing how to pull out of those, like maybe being too method? I don't know, we can speculate all day. People's past, their histories, what they've dealt with.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Yeah, who knows. But--
Casey G. Smith: Find healthy outlets.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yes, indeed. We got anything else in the news?
Casey G. Smith: That's all I got.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What have you been watching?

What We've Been Watching: New Releases and Streaming Finds
Casey G. Smith: I have been watching, well, a couple of trailers, actually for two movies that are that are that came out this weekend. The Northman. I'd seen that trailer a couple times and now the trailers are coming out and it's being, you know, kind of critically acclaimed. And so I'm I'm interested in actually going and seeing that. It's got the Allen Skarsgard in it. But it looks I've heard I've heard some good things about it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: The Northman.
Casey G. Smith: The Northman. And then, uh, The Bad Guys. It's like an animated feature. You got like the, you know, like the big bad wolf and a spider and a shark. Like, typically like these animals you would associate with being bad and like they're trying to like kind of turn over a new leaf. But it's like, you know, one of those like animated comedies. It looks it looks entertaining. It's something about it. Looks charming. So I'm interested in in checking that one out as well.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, a couple of, haven't seen anything. I think I watched the trailer when you mentioned last week, the Doctor Strange. The Multiverse of Madness. Madness. But like I was, when I saw it, it reminded me of the animation on Disney. And I'm like, I've seen this before, but have I?
Reginald Titus Jr.: So, yeah, that's what, that's, that was my thought after seeing it.
Casey G. Smith: One of the very curious things that people are speculating about is that that, that Strange that we see when he says, "Things just got a little out of hand." Like when they see that version of him, that people are saying that that is the Strange, potentially is the Strange from the What If series.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, okay.
Casey G. Smith: And that's like, what? Are they gonna like truly like MCU truly keeping it all connected? And there's even talk that in one of the trailer— in the trailer, like him and America Chavez at one point are breaking into another dimension and actually turning into animated characters.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay.
Casey G. Smith: So you may have this like mad blend. And then the other kind of insane theory right now that was uh, reported on by uh, uh, Everything Always on his YouTube channel was that in in in a recent kind of international release version of the trailer that shows these extended sides, I forget what the technology is called, but they were showing a scene where basically Doctor Strange is in front of the Illuminati. And Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor X. Like now in this extended frame where you see more of the sides, like you see the back of his chair and it's gold.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, okay.
Casey G. Smith: That makes people kind of freak out cuz they're like, wait a minute, is this Professor X from the X-Men animated series, cuz he was in the gold hover chair. So there's all kinds of madness that apparently is gonna unfold. But yeah, that's, you know, that one drops May 5th.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's different. That's a deep cut.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. There's all kinds of madness.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I'm with it. Yeah. All over that one.
Casey G. Smith: Yes.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Marvel knows how to just print money. You're welcome.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What else you been watching, man?
Reginald Titus Jr.: So, um, so I have a couple of items that that I want to watch. So I I didn't watch anything this week, but I was like, okay, I gotta add to my queue. Um, but, do you remember the DVD series back in the '90s and it was always on infomercials late night and it was called Girls Gone Wild?
Casey G. Smith: Yes.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So apparently, there's a documentary kind of explaining like this guy, the the guy that was always pitching the Girls Gone Wild thing, like there was like a lot of crap going on behind the scenes. This dude was like printing money. Because that series, I mean, everybody saw those infomercials. They were pushing the heck out of it and they were selling DVDs like hot cakes.
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So I want to watch that. I believe that's on Hulu or Netflix. It's on--
Casey G. Smith: I know it's coming out on TNT.
Reginald Titus Jr.: TNT. That's right. That's what it was on. Um, and then, uh, Tom, uh, what is it? Pamela Anderson Lee and what's her boyfriend back in the day? Ex-boyfriend? Tom. Tom--
Casey G. Smith: Tommy, Tommy Lee.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Tommy Lee. Yeah. So apparently there's like a re-enactment of like their whole the debacle in relationship.
Casey G. Smith: Sebastian Stan, aka Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier, playing that role. That dude, that dude is a, that dude is a fearless, fearless actor, man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wow. Okay.
Casey G. Smith: I mean, remember we saw him in, uh, with, uh, Margot Robbie, Arobi in, uh, I, Tonya.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's right. He's one of those, those actors that just kind of blend in and you forget.
Casey G. Smith: Character actor, strong character actor, man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. You forget about him. Like, oh, wow. Yeah, you did do that.
Casey G. Smith: What do you, what do you need me to do?
Reginald Titus Jr.: I got it. I got it. Yeah, so I'm interested in watching that. And then of course, the latest episode of Atlanta. I didn't get a chance to watch this week. It's been a busy week. So so what, yeah, so that's where I'm at. What are your thoughts on the most recent episode? Haven't seen it, but--
Casey G. Smith: Man, you watch it and it it it Atlanta can say so much. And it every time I watch an episode, it it gives me something to think about. And I appreciate that like, man, but it's also speaking these truths. Sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly. This is uh, not so subtly, subtly uh, expressed kind of episode. And it's always it it made me think this, like, the with the character of Paper Boi, he's, he's a tragic character. Though he has all this success going on, at the end of the day, rarely do you see Paper Boi. You see him in moments of happiness. But there's not a sustained joy within him. And, yeah, it's it's very fast. But he's a he's a I've just noticed this guy's a tragic character cuz like seeing him give those long, heavy sighs of, you know, or just like, you know, like, you know, getting set to go off. That that's a constant with him. And this episode is kind of you see you see some of those things take place, but it's, it's woefully entertaining and also enlightening and thought-provoking. So--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You're welcome.
Casey G. Smith: Enjoy.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Thank you, Donald Glover, and the whole crew that makes Atlanta possible.
Casey G. Smith: You're welcome back. Glad to have you back.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Right. The writing room is lit, as they say.
Casey G. Smith: Yes. The show slaps.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. What you got?
Casey G. Smith: Uh, speaking of slaps, I've got The Young Rock. That show still lays the smackdown each episode. Uh, Halo, which is okay. Halo's okay. Moon Knight, which is still it's okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It's a show or is it Halo?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. Yeah, like from the video game they actually have a full--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, it's a whole episode?
Casey G. Smith: It's running on, uh, Paramount Plus. Yeah. They're they're on like episode five, I think, will happen this week.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Animated or--
Casey G. Smith: No, live action.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh.
Casey G. Smith: But, uh--
Reginald Titus Jr.: But you said it's okay. So I I take that as no.
Casey G. Smith: No. Yeah, it's yeah, it's it's Halo's okay. I was and it may may I'm still stick with it cuz it's one of those things that drops, you know, I check it out Thursday or Thursday morning. Check it out. Uh, Moon Knight, still still going strong. We're on like the final stretch. And that one is, Moon Knight is trippy. You never you never know what's gonna happen with Moon Knight. Moon Knight kind of keeps you like guessing. Yeah, and at the end of this last episode, won't give anything away, but it's like, oh, okay. And I I like listening to John Campea also, like hearing some of the theories that they talk about on there. Um, Winning Time on HBO. That show is--
Reginald Titus Jr.: I like that.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I've been hearing great stuff.
Casey G. Smith: Incredible.
Reginald Titus Jr.: From you and other people. They especially like basketball, people that just love basketball, like they are uh, uh, what's the guy's name? Jerry West, right?
Casey G. Smith: Jerry. I was about to pick him up. Dude, he's suing them for defamation.
Reginald Titus Jr.: The production company or the network, right?
Casey G. Smith: I know he had he had demanded an apology for the characterization. They they he is characterized as--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Nuts, right?
Casey G. Smith: Batchet crazy on that show. Like, but it's entertaining. It's very entertaining. And I don't know Jerry West personally or much of his history, but I always considered him from a distance with that him as a classy guy. But this is, you know, got earlier earlier in life. It's in the '80s. And they kind of, he's kind of like a loose cannon. He's kind of trying to find his way in the show, but he, he goes through these extremes at times. But I mean, I guess if it was my personal character and I was being characterized in a certain way, but it even says on the show, gives a clear disclaimer, you know, this some of these uh, elements and things have been fictionalized or or dramatized to to be more entertaining. It clearly says that. So, and because it's HBO, so it's--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: They're not holding back.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Exactly.
Casey G. Smith: But it's still very entertaining. But yeah, Winning Time is wonderful. Still rocking with my Hill Street Blues. And that show is again, more and more cameos like just every week.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. How it goes.
Casey G. Smith: Uh, and then, you know, I recently watched uh, you know, I like to kind of kick it old school sometimes. I watched this Spider-Man cartoon from the '80s, which I'd seen some episodes of on Disney Plus. But I think they added more episodes. Cuz it was only like one season, which I know those cartoons from childhood that only one season long then that's it. So Spider-Man and then eventually they rolled to Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which is what I grew up watching. That was like a staple. But that clearly came, it came out of Spider-Man. And then you kind of just added in the other people cuz even the opening titles are like, oh, okay, that's the same. They just switched things around. Yeah. But then the episodes that I watched, you know, they're, you know, cam, you know, cameos from different, you know, Marvel characters. But there was one episode in particular where Aunt May was uh, she was basically tricked into basically trying to kill Spider-Man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Damn.
Casey G. Smith: And it it was, it was a trip because Aunt May's always just, you know, this sweet old lady. And they had this put this villain put this amulet on her that was releasing this aroma that was making her like aggressively. And when she would act sweet towards Spider-Man and invite him over and then she's trying to like, she tried to like poison him and--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wow. Aunt May.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. And then eventually she got us she like tracked him down and and the villain was the Chameleon who could make himself look like other people, who was dressed as Spider-Man, and then she got she got in his truck while he was driving away and then she she had some she had she had a big like potion of like poison, like insect poison, and she tried to pour it on him and it landed on the wheel of the vehicle and the vehicle was gonna crash. It was just I was like, Aunt May's tripping. And so I was like, I didn't I didn't like that. I didn't like seeing Aunt May trying to like take out people. Like she's just a, you know, the the sweetest lady. But anyway, that was that was uh, that was enjoyable. Also, two, three other shows. Uh, Abbott Elementary. The Wonder Years.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh yeah, you told me about those. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: Like two shows with with black leads in them that are highly entertaining. You know, one is, you know, Abbott Elementary is modern in the school system. Great cast. It yeah. And then The Wonder Years, you know, set in the in the '60s, but a middle-class black family and they're doing their thing. It's it's it's it's cool, man. It's very, very cool.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So much good content, man. It's crazy.
Casey G. Smith: And diverse, man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. About time.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. So good diverse content out there that's just crushing.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yes, indeed. Um, speaking of Spider-Man, uh, we watched, um, what's the most recent one? Coming Home, Homecoming. No, no, it's not. No way home. No way home. I know it had to do something with home.
Casey G. Smith: All of them. Yeah, all of them do. That's been the theme of the trilogy.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, um, so No Way Home. We we started it, uh, um, cuz the kids gotta go to bed at a certain time and I was like, all right, we only got like 30 minutes to watch of something. What do y'all wanna watch? Uh, let's watch the one part in Spider-Man where you see Andrew Garfield and we see Toby. Yeah, um, my oldest son loves that part. That scene. So we just started right there. And sure enough, it sucks me in and we end up watching the whole rest of it.
Casey G. Smith: Homecoming, Far From Home. No Way Home. And then the last one, Home.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Of course. How can you stop? I can't I can't stop watching. But man, how tragic is that movie? It's tragic. It's terrible. It's good and terrible.
Casey G. Smith: It takes you through the feels. It takes you through the feels, that's all I like. I'm like, this is an emotional journey. Yeah. A lot of people came out the theater like, hey, I don't like the way I feel after watching that one. I didn't expect to to laugh and then to cry, and then to laugh again and then to cry again and then to feel elation because but I thought the the the pacing is pretty brilliant. Spoilers, though, if you haven't seen Spider-Man No Way Home. Hey, what what are you doing? What what are you doing? The cat's out of the bag at this point. Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire from previous Spider-Man movies are brought in into this film. And it's a moment of triumph in the film right after a major tragedy, a major character dies. Um, for in in in Toby Maguire, excuse me, in and in Tom Holland, Peter Parker's life. A major character passes. And then right after that major tragedy, that's when you see the other Spider-Man appear, but it's like perfectly timed. Like, man, this big like, oh man, that's terrible. Then like, oh, okay, other Spider-Man. Yeah. But it's--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Told you like, oh yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, even the ending. I'm just like, this is sad.
Casey G. Smith: But I I thought that's what I left with. I was like, this is sad. Well, see, that's but that's also like when you talk, when you talk the core of Peter Parker, you think about the first Spider-Man. What is what is Toby Maguire, Peter Parker does? When when he's leaving the the funeral of of Norman Osborn. And Mary Jane like gives him a kiss and he walks away and he's like, that's all I have to give, you know? And he's thinking, you know, the voiceover is going. And he he walks away from her. You know, he kind of has his chance, but in that moment he walks away. He's like, it's a sad kind of kind of ending. You know, and Spider-Man constantly always sacrifices his personal life for Spider-Man. And now finally Tom Tom Holland, Spider-Man, finally has to do that. Because up until this point, he's he's been the most privileged Spider-Man. I mean, remember of the Avengers, going to space. And we don't we don't we haven't heard anything about any Uncle Ben in his life. Like that's that's always been the backstory, but not with this one. Not with this Spider-Man. Maybe it was an Uncle Ben, but we don't know that. But he doesn't have an Aunt May. And like so this is kind of like a delayed tragedy kind of thing. And then again, the great power comes great responsibility. That hits a little later for this Spider-Man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Lord.
Casey G. Smith: So we just we just got hit with the hammer later.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I don't like it.
Casey G. Smith: I'm gonna follow Thor around and watch his movies. That man lost an eye and both parents.
Reginald Titus Jr.: But it's it's different though. I don't know why. He saw he can take it. He's been around a long time. Gods. He gets his tragedy hits him much like thousands thousands of years. I think he says he's over a thousand years old in in Avengers Infinity War. Oh, speaking of which, have you seen the trailer for Love and Thunder?
Reginald Titus Jr.: I did. Yeah, the little side shot with him as a little kid running then a tree and it gets bigger. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: Classic, the classic comic book Thor costume and then like first movie Thor. Yeah, that one looks uh, looks fun. More Taika Waititi goodness, man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I'm I'm for it. Yeah, that one's gonna be some entertainment. That Spider-Man felt a little too real. Like from an emotional standpoint. Of course it's you know, it's sci-fi, it's, you know, action, blah blah blah. But like the emotions, they the the actors really took it there. I'm like, dang. And then Toby how he be like, like so authentic. I'm like, what's going on? The lip quiver. Yeah. And then Andrew just, Andrew Garfield's character, he's just so like depressing and down on himself. I'm like, man, what is this?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, and in this film because he he, I mean, it's that it's brilliant cuz it's kind of meta in terms of things that happened in those films. And and even box office-wise because he he got he got kind of unfairly judged in his films because they they didn't make as much as Sony had hoped. And so they pulled the plug on his franchise really early. But now because of the success of these films, there's a chance that they're gonna these guys are gonna get a chance to come back and do some more stuff. Which is I think just wonderful and and amazing. But, yeah, I've I've I'm definitely gonna be watching this one this week. My buddy got it he's got it queued up, so I I'll definitely be watching uh, No Way Home again. I'll tell you who I was really happy for in the movie was Jamie Foxx.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, yeah.
Casey G. Smith: The redemption of him as Electro this go 'round. He was so much cooler and funny, man. Like--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. They had him jacked up in the first one.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. Yeah. His lines in this one are great. Like he just, I mean, he yeah, the timing on his jokes are really good. Like even he's telling, you know, man, I thought you was black, man. You know, I thought you-- And then again, little Easter egg, you know, he's like, I'm sure there's a black Spider-Man out there somewhere.
Reginald Titus Jr.: And then my son looks at me and starts smiling. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Casey G. Smith: There's a nice little clip by IGN like where they took and broke down at the end. It's all the little kind of cloud figures we see as Strange is bringing it all together of like speculation on different characters. Cool little piece that kind of shows like, okay, this could be Miles, this this this is the Rhino, this is Kraven, this is Black Cat. This is, yeah, it's Spider-Man is one of the best rogues galleries of villains out there. So, but yeah, so uh, that's what we've been watching.
Reginald Titus Jr.: All right. And today's show is sponsored by--
Casey G. Smith: Natural Hair, the movie by Grind of Matter Films, available to stream on Amazon for rent. Also on Tubi as well. We're still on All Black TV? Yes. Still in the contract. And All Black TV. Still. Please watch, like, leave a review.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yes. And still.
Reginald Titus Jr.: And let's jump back into the show.

"The Wraith" Deep Dive: Analysis of Style, Themes, and Trivia
Reginald Titus Jr.: Thank you for tuning in. We're talking about The Wraith, written and directed by Mike Marvin. Rated P— a hard PG-13.
Casey G. Smith: It's the '80s, y'all.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yes, and let's jump into the synopsis.
Reginald Titus Jr.: A bizarre and brutal band of road pirates forces innocent drivers into drag races. Then, a mysterious stranger arrives in a Dodge Turbo Interceptor. The stranger is The Wraith, a mysterious, otherworldly figure who has a destiny to fulfill and a woman's love to reclaim. He's determined to wage a vendetta against the young punks who ruined his life. The Wraith.
Casey G. Smith: Young punks.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Who wrote that?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Um, did you watch this film in the '80s or did you know about this film? What's going on?
Casey G. Smith: I had never heard of it until you mentioned it. Like, what is this?
Reginald Titus Jr.: I watch a lot of B movies as a child. Okay. I'm game. Hey, we're, you know, Filmmaker Commentary is about new experiences. And if this is your first time listening to Filmmaker Commentary, please know that there will be spoilers. You've been forewarned.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. I watched this film like I always talk talk about going to my grandparents' house in West Texas and shows are just going. Always like the net back in the cable would just play the same movie over and over again. And The Wraith during that season was one of those films. And so I would just catch this on replay. And it's funny because you might watch TV and then you're catching the last 45 minutes of the film. You're like, okay, maybe later on today I'll be able to watch the whole thing. So you just got to dive in wherever you dive in. So there's parts of this movie that I missed. I I never really got a chance to just watch this movie all the way through.
Casey G. Smith: That's how it was with HBO back in the day, man. Cuz HBO was like the, I mean, that was like go to for for movies and there were times you'd come in halfway through on something, you'd be like, oh man, all right, when's this playing again? You know, wait, plan it out, look at that TV guide, okay, boom, I gotta catch it Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yep. Oh, yeah. So watching it for the first time in in glorious DVD. What did it, it transferred's gotta be horrible. I don't know. I'm I'm assuming.
Casey G. Smith: You know, it's it's '80s, so I wasn't uh, and again, I hadn't seen it before, so I didn't have and I knew it was a B movie, so I didn't have high expectations as far as the quality of the film, but it it was it was fine, visually, it was it was fine. I really appreciated the practical effects in this film. I mean, this is '86. There's some animation used in the very beginning of the film that also let you know that it's '80s. But man, there is demolition and destruction and the the explosions are quite glorious. I will say. Yeah. The the the story is uh, yeah, it's a little a little flimsy. And the romance is quite rushed, but we'll dive into those things. But it's it's fine for a B movie watch. It came out a little bit better than I expected. I was expecting it to like, meh. Yeah. But, uh, yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, true.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What do you, 93 minutes? What do you want us to do, huh?
Casey G. Smith: What do you want? What do you want?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Uh, goodness. Um, I watched, um, I got this in Blu-ray. Uh, where was I at? What did I go? Best Buy? Did I get this from Best Buy? What does it say? Um, I believe, yeah, I think it was Best Buy. But, um, I saw this and then I was like, oh man, I remember this film. I gotta watch it. Uh, again. And man, uh, it looks great. Like the Blu-ray transfer solid, man. I like cuz usually when it comes to transfers, sometimes they're crappy and you just don't get a whole to a good print, but man, it looks like they cleaned this thing up and it transfers great, man. It's Nice. There are certain parts, uh, certain scenes, especially when, um, The Wraith is pulling up to Carrie's house, like they spent time lighting that. You can tell they spent time lighting that. It looks like they shot it yesterday. That's how good it looks.
Casey G. Smith: Nice. Wow.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So I'm like, why how do they So whoever did the transfer, great job. Um, so, you know, I enjoyed it for that. Um, one of the things I didn't really like was like there was politics with like with music and stuff like that. And before I knew that there was politics with music, there was times like when the car would be moving down the street and they're racing and stuff like that, there's one music and then playing and it's like the soundtrack music, but then you have the composer music on top of that. Yeah. And it like that was like, why is it so janky?
Casey G. Smith: Strong.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I I specifically noticed that when the film started, I'm like, they are rushing through the soundtrack. It's like within like the first five minutes, it's like three soundtrack songs like playing. I'm like, why are they pushing like through the soundtrack so fast? Like, are they doing it to manipulate emotions? But with the soundtrack as a whole, it's very '80s. There's some like, you know, decent cuts on there too. And there's two songs in particular that play that are two the two biggest songs from a hit standpoint that are that are played in the movie, but then they're not on the actual soundtrack release cuz I I I looked and tried to find them and they're not on there. And that's Robert Palmer's, um, uh, Addicted to Love, which they play when they first go to K's Burgers. That was that was huge in the '80s. And then later on, I didn't I didn't catch it until the uh, the second watch with the commentary was Billy Idol's Rebel Yell. Rebel Yell. I'm like, that's that's a huge one also, but they they don't actually show up on the soundtrack if you go to to purchase it. So maybe some more of those music politics.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You got Aussie Osborne, had some music on there, Mötley Crüe had some music. So yeah, mixture of hits and not so hit hits.
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Um, special features on here, you know, they did you watch any of the special features?
Casey G. Smith: Mm-hmm. I watched I watched all of them. They were fairly fairly quick. Mainly mainly interviews.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. You got interviews with the actor, Clint Howard, um, the ghost car, interviews with visual effects producer Peter Caran, and effects animator Kevin Kuchaver. Hopefully I'm saying your name right. Um, dude, and then there's two there's more than one commentary, which, um, there's one with actors on there. There's a commentary with the actors on there.
Casey G. Smith: Blu-ray didn't have that.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, the DVD didn't have that one.
Casey G. Smith: The DVD, yes. The and I had a special edition DVD. It only had one commentary. I don't think I don't think I had the visual effect one. There was an interview with two guys who were, well, I guess maybe they were visual effects cuz again, I'm thinking digital, but it was all practical. So--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Did you uh, did they have the interview with Mike Marvin? Did you see that one?
Casey G. Smith: That's the first one that I watched.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That was insightful.
Casey G. Smith: That's the one with him. There's some there's some unfortunate tragedies that happened on on on the film and on uh, on location that had some lasting effects.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, that's yeah. Um, also, um, what was I gonna say? The, oh, there's a featurette called, uh, The Filming Locations, Then and Now. So there's literally a guy who's in Arizona going to the filming locations and you cut to the movie portion, then you cut to him with a video camera. Like, yeah, in this scene, so when you see them like at the pool, not the pool, or the lake, kinda, whatever you wanna call that, creek. Uh, dude, it's small. Body of water with the rocks. Yeah. It's very small. So like when you see the villain, what's his name? Parker. Parker. What's his name? Packard. That's right. Packard. What kind of name is that? So you got Packard looking across the way like kind of all by him, Charlie Sheen's character. Like kind of going down the ravine kind of thing. It's literally like 20 feet away. But movie magic makes it look further. Sure. Um, so anyhow, that's the special features. What did you think about the commentary in general? Mike Marvin.
Casey G. Smith: It's Packard.
Casey G. Smith: It was a little dry. It was yeah. It was it was a little dry.
Reginald Titus Jr.: He's the most exciting guy on the commentary.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Still still he takes takes his breaks in between sometimes like maybe admiring his his handiwork. I do appreciate those breaks sometimes. Is it? Like--
Casey G. Smith: If the commentary's dry, yes, like, oh, okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Give us a break.
Casey G. Smith: But also having having watched his interview kind of gave you some insights on on some things as well. He's very he he he reiterates multiple times how cold it was. He brings that up a lot. Dude, you can actually see the breath in some of these things. Did you see it on the DVD? Yeah, when they're both uh, when Charlie Sheen and uh, Shirley, what's her name? Are are at the door like in that scene, you could see their breath. And I didn't until he started talking about the cold weather, I didn't even I didn't notice, I didn't think about it. But I guess also in those climates though, at times, at night, you know, the temperature can drop pretty low, especially in those those desert-like locations. But yeah, and it was it made for challenges during some of those water scenes.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What kind of tone do you think this film set?
Casey G. Smith: Um, there's a tone like I think of kind of tension throughout between obviously Packard and uh, the young lady, Carrie. Packard and and Carrie throughout. And then, of course, with Charlie Sheen's character and and and and The Wraith himself with with all the gang members. There's there's this tension that's there. But also, you know, they sprinkle it with humor throughout with the with the gang members in there. Foolishness.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Foolishness.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. And then they again, have this just very rushed romantic vibes that kind of flowing. But it it has a lot of those kind of, we'll get into tropes later, but those, you know, just '80s '80s vibes throughout.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It was rushed.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It was like some things are alarming. Like, dude, so I'll I'll talk about like the tone. So the movie like it opens up with just light, just kind of these three or four parts of light that are just floating around town. Like up and down the highway, like a car, but it's just a glow of light. Real fast. And then they all like when the light goes by like a stop sign or yield sign, whatever kind of sign it was, like the sign melts like. So it's kind of letting you know this is a science fiction something that like this is the opening, uh, sequence. And then it goes, um, then it forms The Wraith. Like what what is this? Because--
Casey G. Smith: In all four of those those lights all converge like at a at a cross point. They all come together. And yeah, and then they form that Wraith.
Reginald Titus Jr.: And then it looks like a car commercial because Cuz after it forms it, like it looks like kind of crude, like the side like the animation is real crude. But then when you cut to the guy in the car, it looks like pristine. You see this car's like rotating, it's him. It's got the smoke. You're like, dang. All it need is a price on there.
Casey G. Smith: But that is actually it this was the genesis for future car commercials. They they the director said in the commentary that they then took that and a lot of car commercials started to have like lightning effects on their vehicle as revealed. But they kind of a lot of, he says, they took it from what they did first. Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Interesting. Why not? Hollywood, just steal it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So, um, so yeah, so that's the the opening. So, okay, it's sci-fi. I don't know who this guy in this jacket and this little outfit is with this car. Okay, something sci-fi. But then you cut to Charlie Sheen on his uh, motorbike like driving into town, sees this girl, and she's like, all right, and just hops on his bike. You going in, you going to school, whatever he said. I don't remember. And she just hops on, okay? And then--
Casey G. Smith: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's alarming. And that's like, just bad writing.
Casey G. Smith: That young lady, you're you're a little too trusting. This is an absolute stranger. You're--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Absolutely. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: Well, I guess I guess I mean, I you want to assume they're in high school, but I'm like, no, I don't know if--
Reginald Titus Jr.: She looked old, don't think. She had a backpack on. She always had a red backpack on.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. So I'm not sure on on the the age.
Reginald Titus Jr.: She's working. She's working in a job.
Casey G. Smith: They flunked a lot.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Maybe. It's uh--
Reginald Titus Jr.: She always had that red backpack. And I'm like, where are your parents? See, that's the big that's what's one of those tropes. '80s movies, parents are nowhere in sight and cops are kind of inept. The sheriff came through at the end, but Randy Quaid. Randy Quaid. But yeah, no parents. No adults. No parents. You got a guy who is literally harassing you, telling you that you're his and trying to control your life, showing up at work, watching you from the bushes in his car. Waiting for you to get home. Telling you, oh, you've been real busy. Call like, where are your parents at? Are they scared too? Like, we ain't going out there. Like, boy's been murdered in town. No parents anywhere to be seen. That was probably a production choice. Only casting only casting young people. No, no parents. We don't have the budget.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: For real. Cut cut into my bonus. Yeah, man. Um, what kind of style did you see when you were watching this film?
Reginald Titus Jr.: I know that long, like the kissing scene between Charlie and Carrie, it was just like a long montage of kissing. I'm like, this is the sex scene then. It's like a version of a sex scene. It's kind of weird.
Casey G. Smith: It was it seemed like you said like if you're gonna do like a love scene, okay, do a love scene. But if you're not, you know, she she kind of she she's in a bathing suit and she pulls down her top and it exposes her her breasts and then and then it's just back and forth between like them like just kissing in the water. Yeah, the director said that yeah, Sheen had already left to go shoot Platoon. And so they brought in a a double to to you know, for the reverse the reverse angle shots. But yeah, that was just it was weird. Yeah. And the director said they had planned on having more nude scenes. What do you need more for? But like they just wasn't enough time.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It's like cross dissolves too. And like it crossed dissolves to the back of Charlie Sheen's head, but it's not him for real.
Casey G. Smith: I said, I knew it wasn't him then. I was like, that guy's haircut is different.
Reginald Titus Jr.: He like, different, different hair. Hey big, it's different. Different color and everything.
Casey G. Smith: So I'll put that in the trivia later. Like, that is so random. Like, how is how's that more important than the story? Cuz the story is needs help. What are you doing, Mike? That's it. Oh man. It's to make you forget. More more nude scenes. Oh, boobs. Story wasn't that great, but there were plenty of nude scenes. So I'll I'll give it a pass. Booms and boobs. Yeah, so that was yeah, I was I was interested like, why? But that no, you didn't need that. You you what you had in there, you didn't need it. But again, it was the '80s and there were a lot of these movies just random, random nudity. Right. But also it's a horror, it's a horror trope because this is gets horror film. Yeah. Some degree sci-fi horror. Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, it's not.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, the um, just like the style, and maybe this is probably more of a trope. But yeah, the style, I I do like like some of the quick cuts that seem like they would the real like they're not in order. Like when there's a bomb, like it blows up, but then it cuts to someone's face and it's like it flashes several times. It's weird. It's it's weird. It's it's schizophrenic. Yeah, I noticed that as a note too, the quick cuts. But, um, like with that style, I like I like how he did that. You know. Like it like stays in your brain longer. I don't know. The brain it just registers different than just like a straight run into bomb, blow up and that's it. Like flash flash flash flash, cut. And then, then that happens. Yeah. That's a style. The editing style was interesting.
Casey G. Smith: I noticed too, you know, there was a lot of scenes that were shot at night. There was a lot of bluish tint. Uh, I think he used at different times. Uh, and then, of course, with the weather changing from time to time, you get some overcast action going on and yeah, but--
Reginald Titus Jr.: I have a theme uh, I didn't catch too many themes just because of the writing style that seemed more it was it this was you you feel like this is a product. This is This is a propaganda product. Let's get some nice looking women. Let's get some bombs. Let's get some handsome boys. And uh, we got a movie. That's what it felt like. But one thing that I did that they were actually uh, selling and branding was, he's not from around here. Cuz everybody's asking like, who's this guy? Where are you from? And so it seems like a theme that keeps playing throughout the film.
Casey G. Smith: Cars.
Casey G. Smith: And that's like, I think for the '80s, you had a couple movies where you had the stranger from from out of town or the stranger from beyond, you know, that came from another place to come down and true. Like movies like Starman and things like that from back in the back in the day.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Almost want to go back and look through. I'm trying to go through my brain and see if any more films have been re-introduced. Do you remember a movie called The Boy Who Could Fly?
Casey G. Smith: The Boy Who Could Fly? Yeah. Ooh, the name's familiar. I know I've seen it. I'm trying to remember. The Boy Who Could Fly?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Look it up on your own, extra time. Um, The Boy Who Could Fly, but yeah, one of those '80s films kinda like the same situation. Like, well, what-- Um, but yeah, like some like those little random B movies like pop in my head because I was watching these films.
Casey G. Smith: It's all good, man. They they they shaped, you know, the experiences and the others they use to think about it and the things to compare it to. But I saw a theme of revenge throughout. Uh, the theme of thrills or seeking thrills, you know, with with the gang. Yeah. You know, science fiction, you know, once you you deal with the with the Wraith. And again, it's like, okay, is this guy a ghost or is he, I that's that's very unclear like. And then like he gives the car to his brother. Like, are you trying to incriminate him? You just gave him this this death weapon. You've killed four or five people with and you use it, lay it on him and you leave with the girl. I'm like, did you do did you do him a favor? Really? I think that's a trope. I think that's a trope. When you're you've won, you hang your keys. You toss, you toss the keys to someone that you like. Whether it's your brother, it's yours. We've seen this, right? Haven't we've seen that, right? Very true, very true. It's all yours. Take it. A whole car. I'm done. A whole car. Mission's complete. I bequeath it onto you. Right. We that is a trope. Period.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's a true. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: No.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. It's weird.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I don't know.
Casey G. Smith: That's a good call.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, wow. Thanks. It's a murder machine. It's all mine.
Casey G. Smith: And again, not not like the car wouldn't be recognizable. There's no other car like that like in the world at the time. It's--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Now. It's a museum.
Casey G. Smith: And you'd probably look guilty because you've been seen trying to defend this girl, affiliated with his gang, several times. You've been beat up publicly by the gang leader. Now he and his whole crew are dead. So The Wraith just set this guy up. And The Wraith is just really an evil spirit. It's not benevolent. He's gonna claim this kid next. Or I mean, what if Packard would come back as like the next Wraith? I don't know, man. It's--
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh.
Casey G. Smith: The director said he had written a sequel. Like two sequels, apparently, to to this. I would entertain it. I would maybe entertain a sequel. I need to see a trailer first. Give me a trailer.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. For real. Yeah. I'll be interested. You have questions. There there are enough questions. I need them to update that script, buddy. Ooh, update. But yeah, I I don't think his brother was left in the best of spots.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Rough town.
Casey G. Smith: You get a pretty ride, but there'll be a cost. You better ride out of town. That's what you better do.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. As quick as possible. Uh, do you have any favorite scenes?
Casey G. Smith: Uh, when Packard dies.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Really?
Casey G. Smith: He when he gets his. Hey, I was like, man, you're a bastard, man. I'm I'm glad. I'm uh, I'm glad you got yours.
Reginald Titus Jr.: There is a shot when The Wraith, or Charlie Sheen's character, is he his name is Jamie or--
Casey G. Smith: Yes.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So he he drops off Carrie at her house. They have a little quick kiss and then he's gonna meet up with her later. And then, um, Packard sees him leaving. So Packard starts following him. Um, Jamie's off in the distance. And then the bike just goes up and floats into like light. I'm like, this is a brilliant scene. Period.
Casey G. Smith: That reminds me of I was trying to remember what it reminds me of. Voltron. That's what it made me think of. Like like Voltron like splitting apart.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Dude, that was such a solid scene. I'm like, man, this it and it was so smooth on how the lights cuz you got the red light, the brake light, and then the two lights on the side, and then it just goes off. I'm like, ah. That is a beautiful shot.
Casey G. Smith: Nice, nice. Uh, I also like when when Carrie defies Pack. He had been so controlling of her, and she seems just so scared and some, not not saying complacent, but like, you know, like fight this dude. And she finally says that she'll never love him. And I will never, I will never make love to you, and I will never love you. She just, boom, like, take that. Cuz he constantly says, I love you too much to, but whatever, fill in the blank. But it's not love. It's just that's obsession and control. And she finally stands up to him and says, I'll never love you.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wow.
Reginald Titus Jr.: He is a murderer. He is a known murderer. I'm just saying. He like every time somebody's about to say something in opposition, he pulls out his little knife. Right. Even his crew. Like, bam. Natural thought. What you gotta say? What you gotta? You will get stabbed. Man. Uh, one of my favorite scenes is the blow-up scenes. I mean, the scene when The Wraith drives into that barn or to their headquarters and blows up. Yeah. It is it is satisfying.
Casey G. Smith: And his name is Rughead.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So satisfying. Man. These boys are crispy.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. There was yeah. There was no no escape. But it was weird. I found that weird cuz that's the only time Pack showed any kind of affection towards his crew other than giving them orders or threatening with the switchblade. As he did that, then all of a sudden. Quietness.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Cuts. How about that? He did. Yeah, he did. He's a sheriff.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. It's rough.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, man. That was great. Yeah. We we we we rushed the love scenes, but we we we hung on to this to not fade off. Yeah, there we go. We rushed the romance and oh man. Dead in Macguffins. Oh Lord, Lord, Lord. Any rate. Uh, what are we looking at next time? What possibly higher quality film? Yeah. Okay. We'll be visiting 1980s once again. Okay. But this time we'll be going to Wall Street. Okay. I'm with it. Oliver Stone, yeah. That's an Oliver Stone film, right? Okay. I'm I'm making sure. I'm pretty sure it was Oliver Stone. But I could be wrong. I've been wrong before. It is Oliver Stone. Okay. Um, and you can catch us where? Facebook.com/filmmakercommentary. You can also like and subscribe on iTunes. We would appreciate a review from you. You enjoy us being back or you enjoyed our previous programs, please let us know, let others know so they can find us. You can find him on Twitter at Reggie Titus. I am at Casey G Smith 32. We're also on Instagram at Filmmaker Commentary. He's at Reginald Titus Jr. That's Jr. And I'm at Casey G Smith 32. Until next time. Peace. Respect.
Casey G. Smith: Oh, yeah. That was okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Um, maybe it's with the parents. I don't know. Somebody, somebody's gotta know. Yeah, I still had was like, what am I missing? I thought okay, once they're all, once all those braces are gone then. I thought he would just die or something like not be able to come back. Okay. I'm following you. And you lost me. Yeah. And you lost me. Uh, I'm out. What's what's going on here? Can somebody just explain? Yeah, there are a couple couple holes. A couple holes in the. Oh man. Oh man. In this. Yeah. I'm not the only one. I'm like, maybe I'm. Oh, it's not me. It's you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's your. It's your script. Your script is broken. It's the script that's broken. No. That's it. It's the script that's broken. Oh man. This town is a mess. The story, the town, everything is a mess. But it's a great mess. Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that. I was like, what what's what's up with that? And because it's like an insert shot. They're purposely gotta close up of it and it disappears. They got a little synthesizer music. It means nothing. Dead in plot point. No resolution. Man. But I'm still curious like where this dude came from and why, why was he able to come back? Who sent him back? Oh man, that's too far out. There are questions and may never may never be answered. Nope. Yeah. Yeah. Entertaining. Nonetheless. Entertaining. Nonetheless. I thought there was, it was hilarious to see that. It was like this means nothing. I ain't gonna join a Wraith club. I'm happy for you. But I would not appeal like a Wraith. I shall disappear. I'm I'm going to ride off like Charlie Sheen and celebrate. So, in in like there were certain scenes where after a car wreck, it'll be like a piece of the guy's outfit, The Wraith's outfit, will be there, then it'll disappear. I'm like, what is this about? I still Yeah, I still was like, what's important? Yeah, I still was like, what's important?

About Filmmaker Commentary

Reginald Titus Jr.

Apple Spotify YouTube Subscribe Free
Continue Listening

FMC 244 : The Karate Kid Directed by John G. Avildsen

June 20, 2026

What We’ve Been Watching Episode 008

June 12, 2026

FMC 243 : Love and Basketball Written and Directed by Gina Prince Bythewood

June 9, 2026

Leave a Response Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Never Miss an Episode

New episodes every week — free.

Listen on Spotify Apple Podcasts

Recent Episodes

  • FMC 244 : The Karate Kid Directed by John G. Avildsen
  • What We’ve Been Watching Episode 008
  • FMC 243 : Love and Basketball Written and Directed by Gina Prince Bythewood
  • What We’ve Been Watching Episode 007

Archives

  • June 2026
  • May 2026
  • April 2026
  • March 2026
  • February 2026
  • January 2026
  • October 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • March 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Film
  • Podcast
  • TV
© 2026 Filmmaker Commentary. All rights reserved.
  • About
  • Episodes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service