Episode 33: Jonathan Barkan on ‘Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse’

11:27 AM CST on February 3, 2021

The Crimson Rivers 2 Jean Reno — EuropaCorp

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When you think of the prototypical Certified Forgotten film, you probably don't think of a movie like Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse. The big-budget sequel to an international success, Angels of the Apocalypse featured a stellar cast, a high-profile screenwriter, and Jean Reno, an actor almost as popular in the United States as he is in his native France. So what caused a film with this much going for it to fall through the cracks?

In this week's episode, the Matts are joined by Jonathan Barkan, a horror critic, producer, and executive who knows a thing or two about the ups and downs of international cinema. Barkan shares his own harrowing entry into the horror genre and describes how his love of music - not movies - is what helped launch his career in the industry. Before long, the conversation turns to Barkan's undying love for this over-the-top (and smarter than you think) sequel.

02:55 - Jonathan Barkan shares his earliest memories of the horror genre.
11:36 - Barkan explains how his background in music production led to a long career as a horror journalist.
32:21 - Introduction to Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse and why Barkanchose it for this week's podcast.
40:36 - Discussion on how Angels of the Apocalypse fits into the greater trend of 2000s French genre cinema.
45:12 - Discussion on why Angels of the Apocalypse manages to prove that bigger is sometimes better.
48:41 - Discussion on how Angels of the Apocalypse connects the dots between post-war France and modern-day fascism.
59:22 - What caused Angels of the Apocalypse to be forgotten by audiences (despite its blockbuster pedigree)?

Want to learn more about Barkan's work in the horror industry? Follow him on Twitter at @JonathanBarkan.

While Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse is not currently available to stream, you can find copies of the film on DVD on eBay and at the home video reseller of your choice. Check out the rest of our podcast episodes on our Podcasts page.

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Matthew Monagle

@monagle.bsky.social

Matthew is a Philadelphia-based film critic and the co-founder of Certified Forgotten. You can find his writing at publications like Inverse, Polygon, IGN, and more. When not writing about horror movies, he can often be found obsessing over horror comics or roleplaying games.