Come with us now into the archives as we rescue the "lost" Episode 8 of Catch Basin Cinema. It's a long story but basically, we recorded this and then.. a bunch of stuff happened. It was Mardi Gras, then some of us got sick, others of us traveled the world in a spiritual journey of self discovery. By the time, that ended, we were already on to Episode 9.

But this is episode 8. Finally! The movie, HELL BABY (2013), is a haunted house movie staring some of our favorite comedic actors unfortunately not being particularly funny. This could have been a gentrification satire, or at least a better horror parody but instead is just some pretty good actors just goofing around and having a good time in New Orleans. So.. missed opportunities.

But we have NOT missed the opportunity to finally release this content. So, please enjoy.

That's right, it's Episode 9! We are well aware Episode 9 is out before Episode 8. We will not be taking any questions at this time.

It has been a long summer but here we are back just in time. The same week that Mayor Cantrell names her choice to become the city's new police chief amid pressures from various political and business factions, we have watched a film about the conseqences that political and business factions can bring upon a police chief and the disastrous violence that comes in the wake of that.

That's right we're looking at VENDETTA (1999), a made for HBO historical drama about the notorious 1891 lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in retribution for the unsolved murder of Chief David Hennesey. It stars Christopher Walken, Ed Hermann, and the finest budget backlot sets Canada had to offer at the time.

This film is based on a book by Italian American Studies Professor Richard Gambino

The lynching seems also to have inspired a forthcoming book by infamous retired federal prosecutor Sal Perricone

We also refer to this book about Joseph P. Macheca who is a pivotal character in the film.

Here, also, is the James Karst article we reference regarding James Houston's attack on a newspaper office.

We're back after a bit of a holiday hiatus! Our movie is the star studded, but largely forgotten ZANDALEE (1991) starring one of New Orleans's most famous adopted enfants terrible Nicholas Cage along with Judge Reinhold, Marisa Tomei, Steve Buscemi, and several other actors who apparently worked for free at one point during the production. That is, at least accoring to this interview with the director Sam Pillsbury. It's Pillsbury's voice we hear at the beginning of the episode, by the way. That isn't explained in the audio.

We also talk about screenwriter Mari Kornhauser's appearance at Rising Tide 7 (which we had a bit part in the production of ourselves) where she participated in a panel discussion on the uneasy relationship between New Orleans's tourism industry and the people, culture, and art, it extracts profits from. All of which is worth considering in the context of this film which seeks to ask if "money is just an excuse for the lack of art" even if its contemplation may leave one with a slight paralysis of the soul.