Forgotten Cinema

Season 26 begins on Forgotten Cinema as the Mikes take a look at "Payback", the 1999 crime thriller starring Mel Gibson.
The plan was to watch "Payback: Straight Up," director Brian Helgeland’s restored cut of the film. Instead, both Mike Butler and Mike Field ended up watching the Director’s Cut and the theatrical version. Field accidentally started with the theatrical cut, while Butler found the alternate version so dramatically different that discussing one without seeing the other would have been nearly impossible.
For perhaps the first time the Mikes can remember, both cuts have genuine merit. The theatrical version suffers from an aggressive blue tint and heavy desaturation that appear intended to evoke a gritty 1970s crime film, but instead leave much of the movie looking flat and artificial. The Director’s Cut, however, captures that throwback atmosphere far more effectively.
The differences extend well beyond the visuals. Entire scenes, characters, and story elements are altered, while the ending is changed so completely that the two versions almost feel like separate films. Butler prefers the more elaborate theatrical finale, while Field finds it somewhat tacked on, even though he enjoys several moments within it.
The Mikes also discuss Gibson’s Porter, an unapologetically selfish and irredeemable criminal who never needs to reveal a secret heart of gold. That commitment to making the protagonist a genuinely bad person is rare, and it gives both versions of the film a distinctive personality.
Even rarer is the final recommendation. Should you watch the Director’s Cut and enjoy it, Butler and Field believe the theatrical version is also worth seeking out. Neither cut completely replaces the other, making "Payback" a fascinating example of how editing, tone, and a radically different ending can transform the same production into two worthwhile movies.
Are there any other adaptation of the Porter series that we don't know about? Let us know in the comments below!
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🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
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0:00 - Introduction
3:45 - Film Facts
16:00 - Film Discussion
27:28 - Reviews
33:44 - Who Would You Recommend This To?
38:18 - Why Is This Forgotten?
40:56 - Plugs
#ForgottenCinema #Payback #MelGibson #BrianHelgeland #BasedOnABook #DirectorsCut #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion #UnderratedMovies #ClassicFilms #Crime #Thriller #90sMovies

This week on Forgotten Cinema, Forgotten Summer comes to an end with "White Water Summer", the 1987 wilderness adventure starring Kevin Bacon and Sean Astin.
Unfortunately, neither Mike Butler nor Mike Field is particularly impressed. The film has the ingredients for an engaging survival story, but its characters repeatedly make frustrating decisions and the movie never fully develops its most interesting ideas.
One of the biggest problems is Sean Astin’s narration, which was added two years after principal photography. Rather than adding clarity or emotional depth, these bookends make his character even less likable.
Kevin Bacon’s camp leader could have been the film’s most compelling character. His demanding methods, unclear motivations, and increasingly dangerous behavior suggest a much more complicated person beneath the surface. Unfortunately, the movie does very little with him until its final ten or fifteen minutes, leaving most of that potential unexplored.
Filled with questionable choices, underdeveloped characters, and an unnecessary narration that actively works against the film, "White Water Summer" brings Forgotten Summer to a disappointing, though certainly memorable, conclusion.
What are some other forgotten outdoor teenage comedy/survival movies that we didn't mention this episode? Let us know in the comments!
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more Forgotten Cinema content!
🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
✨ Support us on Patreon for exclusive content: www.patreon.com/forgottencinema
🛍️ Grab some Forgotten Cinema merch: www.etsy.com/shop/ForgottenCinemaShop
Check out our website: https://www.forgottencinemapodcast.com
0:00 - Introduction
3:41 - Film Facts
8:14 - Film Discussion
27:42 - Reviews
31:58 - Who Would You Recommend This To?
37:34 - Why Is This Forgotten?
41:24 - Plugs
#ForgottenCinema #WhiteWaterSummer #SeanAstin #KevinBacon #Drama #Outdoors #TeenComedy #TeenMovies #80sMovies #ForgottenSummer #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion #UnderratedMovies #ClassicFilms

This week on Forgotten Cinema: Now Showing, the Mikes take a look at "Autonomous", a new vertical horror short from the creators of "ZombieCON Vol. 1", now streaming on Screamify.
In this bonus episode, Mike Butler and Mike Field discuss how "Autonomous" uses the growing presence of self-driving cars, and the anxieties surrounding them, as the foundation for a compact monster story. They break down the film’s plot, characters, visual style, and how effectively it builds tension within such a short runtime.
The Mikes also explore the vertical format itself and whether it works as a legitimate storytelling device rather than simply a way to watch content on a phone. For both of them, Screamify and the recent wave of vertical dramas feel surprisingly familiar, recalling the creative energy and experimentation of the web series scene from the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Be sure to check out "Autonomous" on Screamify, as well as our interview with director Kyle Valle and Erin Áine, where we discuss the making of the short, the challenges of vertical filmmaking, and the opportunities this emerging format may offer independent creators.
You can also head to Screamify.com to check out the short and everything Screamify has to offer. And don't forget to follow the creators @bigsquidfilms and of course @screamifyapp on the socials!
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more Forgotten Cinema content!
🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
✨ Support us on Patreon for exclusive content: www.patreon.com/forgottencinema
🛍️ Grab some Forgotten Cinema merch: www.etsy.com/shop/ForgottenCinemaShop
Check out our website: https://www.forgottencinemapodcast.com
#ForgottenCinema #Autonomous #ErinÁine #ErinAine #KyleValle #Screamify #Interview #Horror #VerticalDrama #ShortFilm #AI #ZombieCon #Thriller #IndependentFilm #IndieFilm #Filmmaking #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion

In this bonus episode, the Mikes interview director Kyle Valle and star Erin Áine of the vertical horror short "Autonomous"; now showing on the new streaming service "Screamify".
Mike Field and Mike Butler ask Valle and Áine what drew them to the script, how they joined up with Screamify, the differences and challenges of filming a vertical story and of course, they check in on "ZombieCON Vol.2".
Check out this episode, see what the Mikes thought of "Autonomous" in a special Now Showing episode, or head to Screamify.com to check out the short and everything Screamify has to offer. And don't forget to follow the creators @bigsquidfilms and of course @screamifyapp on the socials!
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more Forgotten Cinema content!
🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
✨ Support us on Patreon for exclusive content: www.patreon.com/forgottencinema
🛍️ Grab some Forgotten Cinema merch: www.etsy.com/shop/ForgottenCinemaShop
Check out our website: https://www.forgottencinemapodcast.com
#ForgottenCinema #Autonomous #ErinÁine #ErinAine #KyleValle #Screamify #Interview #Horror #VerticalDrama #ShortFilm #AI #ZombieCon #Thriller #IndependentFilm #IndieFilm #Filmmaking #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion

This week on Forgotten Cinema, the Mikes head to the penultimate episode of both Forgotten Summer and Season 25 with Ridley Scott’s "Kingdom of Heaven", specifically the Director’s Cut that both Mike Butler and Mike Field agree is far superior to the theatrical release.
The Mikes discuss how the restored version gives the story, characters, and themes the room they need to breathe, transforming the film into a richer and more complete historical epic. There is a lot being explored here, from faith and leadership, to war, tolerance, and the responsibility that comes with power.
That said, the film is still somewhat held back by its central hero. Balian can feel like a fairly generic protagonist compared to the more complex characters surrounding him, though Orlando Bloom does a very good job with the material and brings a quiet strength to the role.
The conversation also expands into what truly makes a film an “epic,” what separates a historical epic from a standard period drama, and why movies of this scale have become so difficult to produce in the modern studio system.
With stunning filmmaking, ambitious ideas, and a story greatly improved by its restored footage, "Kingdom of Heaven" is an easy recommendation from both Mikes. Just make sure you watch Ridley Scott’s Director’s Cut, because once you have seen it, there is little reason to return to the theatrical version.
What are some other more modern "historical epics" that we didn't mention this episode? Let us know in the comments!
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more Forgotten Cinema content!
🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
✨ Support us on Patreon for exclusive content: www.patreon.com/forgottencinema
🛍️ Grab some Forgotten Cinema merch: www.etsy.com/shop/ForgottenCinemaShop
Check out our website: https://www.forgottencinemapodcast.com
0:00 - Introduction
4:03 - Film Facts
12:37 - Film Discussion
34:10 - Reviews
37:31 - Who Would You Recommend This To?
42:00 - Why Is This Forgotten?
48:18 - Plugs
#ForgottenCinema #KingdomOfHeaven #DirectorsCut #RidleyScott #OrlandoBloom #EvaGreen #LiamNeeson #JeremyIrons #Epic #HistoricalDrama #HistoricalEpic #ActionMovie #Drama #History #Crusades #00sMovies #ForgottenSummer #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion #UnderratedMovies #ClassicFilms