# Season 1, Gen X — Episode 12 — The Chase (1994) + Detroit Rock City (1999) w/J.G Michael

An episode of [Death is a Photograph](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1851854369), 8 Feb 2026, 1 h 42 min.

Audio: https://redirect.zencastr.com/r/episode/69887192ab7b5d59a1e07c0e/size/146177325/audio-files/67f3e7b6c0e44b4fefd3ba4a/303f319b-0585-4136-8c39-859a91323547.mp3

This week, DPP is joined by prolific podcaster and Renaissance man J.G. Michael of Parallax Views to discuss two underappreciated gems by director Adam Rifkin: The Chase (1994) and Detroit Rock City (1999). Rifkin, who got his start in the world of wrestling (could there be a more Gen X origin story?), has produced an oeuvre defined by Hollywood's commercial needs. Yet, in between, family-friendly forgetables like 1997's Mouse Hunt and 2007's Underdog, Rifkin has directed films that speak to the zeitgeist. The Chase is a knowing satire on the car-chase genre combined with a deconstruction of 24/7 news and 'infotainment.' Detroit Rock City, meanwhile, is that strange Gen-X beast - a 1970s nostalgia film (think Summer of Sam, Dazed and Confused, etc.) entirely centred around the band Kiss. It's our contention that Rifkin may well be the Gen-X Robert Zemeckis — someone who understands the median tastes of a generation forgotten about by history, and too often Hollywood. As always, our Patreon can be found here. We'll be publishing subscriber-only episodes on everything from Trainspotting and Clockwatchers — to interviews with leading theorists of our historical moment. Subscribe.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.