A movie podcast that chronicles the greatest battle in cinema.
Inspired by new release MISS SLOANE we attempt to control gun control cinema as seen in the Michael Moore documentary BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and the John Grisham film adaptation of RUNAWAY JURY. To take on such heavy hitters as Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman we need Dwight Hurst of The Broken Brain podcast, and a huge fan of The West Wing in Ben Zuk to walk and talk with Jessica Chastain.
ALSO: We propose MySpace as a place for former jury fixers to find their next gig.
In preparing for new release NOCTURNAL ANIMALS we take the threats of authors very seriously by looking back at Jack Nicholson terrorizing his family in THE SHINING and Emma Thompson picking on Will Ferrell for being a dork who needs to die in STRANGER THAN FICTION. To do that we welcome back returning guest Margo from the podcast Book vs. Movie, and the world's biggest Tom Ford fan, Ben Zuk.
On this episode we discuss vulnerability in male sexuality with David Hart of Pop Culture Case Study. To do so, we reveal our own hopes, dreams, and desires such as the goal line stand of Jack Nicholson's hairline in CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. Or our innermost fears such as an inability to speak Spanish on a road trip with friends in Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN. All of that and a look at a frontrunner in 2016's Best Picture race with MOONLIGHT.
Also: Our Oscars expert Ben Zuk blindly predicts the Academy Awards, and our host Mike struggles to name ten good movies.
New release LOVING has us IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, albeit of a particular scandalous variety. For that we of course turn to Judi Dench in NOTES ON A SCANDAL as that relatively forgotten Oscar contender goes up against Wong Kar-wai's modern classic. But first, is the latest from Jeff Nichols going to be perceived as a new classic come Oscar time? All of that and a battle between MIDNIGHT SPECIAL and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES in our latest episode.
On this episode we present an anthology of New York anthology films. Starting with new documentary TRUE NEW YORK, listen as your favorite Arizona and Kentucky residents explore this city of numerous romantic comedies through the eyes of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen (NEW YORK STORIES) and Brett Ratner (NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU).
Also: we concoct a new electoral path to the Presidency with friend of the show Michael Shannon, by drawing a big red dildo over the country.
Returning guest Ben Zuk joins the show to help us translate the glowing critical response to new release ARRIVAL. Being less than enthusiastic on that film we hang out with the jaded and bored Scarlett Johansson & Bill Murray in Sofia Coppola's LOST IN TRANSLATION. That modern classic battles it out with Brad Pitt and the rest of the INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS in Quentin Tarantino's tribute to international cooperation.
Also: Ben refuses to come back to discuss Sofia Coppola's SOMEWHERE, even with the promise of WE BOUGHT A ZOO.
For an episode that confronts the domestic terror that is Dakota Fanning we need three guests. Ben Zuk and David Hart of Pop Culture Case Study discuss new release AMERICAN PASTORAL which inspires a look back at Steven Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDS and Kelly Reichardt's NIGHT MOVES with Andrew Pierce of AB Film Review and The Last New Wave. Do we prefer Dakota young, innocent, and running from an alien invasion with expert runner Tom Cruise OR plotting with Jesse Eisenberg on nefarious uses for fertilizer? Find out in this episode and also...
Andrew speaks with great authority on the DVD black market in Thailand.
For new release CERTAIN WOMEN guest Ben Zuk helps us present our own anthology of Kelly Reichardt and Michelle Williams film collaborations. In WENDY AND LUCY a young woman becomes financially stranded in Oregon during a trip cross country with her dog, while in MEEK'S CUTOFF a group of settlers' wives are unable to participate in the decision making when their guide gets them lost on the Oregon Trail. Which place from these films proves the biggest roadblock for their respective characters? For that we bring in Andrew from AB Film Review and The Last New Wave as he is the self-proclaimed most isolated podcaster on Earth.
Also: two of the three voices on this show verify that they did not record naked.
Twitter/Instagram: @warmachinehorse
We continue to reflect back on the presidential election, though this time we do so with the help of Philip Baker Hall as Richard Nixon in SECRET HONOR. That 1984 Robert Altman film is up against J.C. Chandor's 2013 movie ALL IS LOST. This episode has been inspired by the election of Donald Trump which has hosts Chris and Mike considering a life of isolation with new release PETER AND THE FARM.
Also in this darkest timeline episode: Alfred Hitchcock is accused of being the James Cameron of his time, Hugh Jackman is anointed the hero of CHAPPIE, and James Cromwell's character from L.A. CONFIDENTIAL shoots BABE.
The episode that everyone has been waiting for, our Holocaust Denial Super Fun Happy Hour inspired by the new film starring Rachel Weisz, DENIAL. Listen to the insane ramblings of your two hosts Chris and Mike, along with some other far more harmful ramblers found in the 1999 Errol Morris documentary MR. DEATH: THE RISE AND FALL OF FRED A. LEUCHTER, JR. and the 2014 German film LABYRINTH OF LIES.
Also: we discuss the merits of moving to Canada post 2016 Presidential Election and decide that America is the It from IT FOLLOWS.
We go off the grid with guest Ben Zuk and Viggo Mortensen for new to video CAPTAIN FANTASTIC. Our travels and limited supplies do include copies of previous situation this actor has found himself in with A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and THE ROAD. Along the way we discuss David Cronenberg's portrayal of baseball and sex (one of which bothers our host a great deal more) and eating canned fruit with Robert Duvall as the best way to spend the end days.
Join us for Mike and Ben's murder-suicide pact in our latest episode!
On this episode we account for the cinematic crimes of Ben Affleck in his new film THE ACCOUNTANT. This inspires guest Ben Zuk to join in a MIDNIGHT RUN of assessing the merits of that film starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin against De Niro and Kevin Costner in THE UNTOUCHABLES. All of this and some compliments to the beauty of Andy Garcia in an episode produced from the set of MIDNIGHT RUN!
On this episode Ben Zuk returns to program another Woody Allen film INTERIORS, which is combined with HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG for the biggest downer double feature after seeing the new popcorn thriller THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Though not similar in style or tone, all three films feature women who long to go home but doing so results in tragedy.
We also discuss the literary merits of beach reads and AMERICAN PASTORAL as a $14.99 paperweight.
On this episode we get all dressed up with Jairo from The True Bromance Film Podcast for an Australian film making its way to the States in THE DRESSMAKER. The fashionable feud fought by Kate Winslet inspires us to battle it out between ZOOLANDER and THE NEON DEMON.
Also Jairo gives advice on the appropriate attire for an evening at the bondage club.
On this episode we take a trip to the states of Kevin Smith. First we travel True North with guest Kristen Lopez of Journey in Classic Film and the podcast Ticklish Business for the second part of that trilogy in YOGA HOSERS. Then it's back to the States with co-host Chris Maynard and one of his guilty pleasures in JERSEY GIRL going up against the extreme and horrific politics of middle America in RED STATE.
We also make time (as we do every episode) to objectify the glorious onscreen nudity of Jeff Goldblum and Patrick Swayze.
We take a trip SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU with Cinemabun podcast host Tonja to discuss the city of Chicago and challenging first dates. Tonja also talks about her new web series WINGCHICK. Then returning guest Dwight from The Broken Brain and the Amygdala Magazine podcast dives into THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT's policy on gun control, DAVE's overthrow of the government, and the troubles of dating when the likes of Michael J. Fox and Martin Sheen are on your back about running the country.
We look at the world of finance (something we know nothing about) from a female perspective (also something we know nothing about). Thankfully we have three films and three women directors to guide us, led by the 2016 summer indie EQUITY. This thriller causes us to question the thrills we get out of watching Jennifer Aniston suffer in 2006's FRIEND WITH MONEY and the failure to build the Orlando version of Versailles in the 2012 documentary THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES.
This episode is brought to you by the latest cargo pants craze from Old Navy.
This episode is a walk in the woods with Andrew from AB Film Review and The Last New Wave as we go on the search for one of our cinematic favorites THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Will the new 2016 BLAIR WITCH bring back our teenage obsessions with the original or kill the franchise again like BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2?
Also we educate listeners on how to acquire podcast funding from the Australian government.
We return from our podcasting disappearance with an episode on the Norwegian black comedy action film IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE. Stellan Skarsgard plays a grieving father out to get the men responsible for his son's death, playing it in a very different way than Tom Wilkinson IN THE BEDROOM from 2001, and of course differently from Jack Nicholson in the 1995 film THE CROSSING GUARD. All of this and our prediction for the remake of IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE starring Liam Neeson (that is not a joke).
On this episode returning guest Ben Zuk participates in a Woody Allen threesome for the release of CAFE SOCIETY. Our other two films of varying degrees of sex appeal include the classic MANHATTAN starring the filmmaker himself embroiled in a love triangle with an Allen favorite in Diane Keaton. Allen is absent from VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA but gives us the gift of Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johanssen, and and Oscar winning performance from War Machine vs. War Horse favorite, Penelope Cruz.
Mr. Zuk provides yet another great mashup of these two Allen films, while Mike mostly sits in the corner and watches.
Inspired by new horror film SHELLEY we look at surrogacy on the silver screen in THE WAY OF THE GUN (2000) and BABY MAMA (2008). Along the way we both court and insult meninists as we ponder if both of these movies would be better served with a role reversal. Listen to our pitch of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler kidnapping surrogate Greg Kinnear and Benicio Del Toro bunking with James Caan who insists on pissing in sinks. After this great film analysis we proclaim our show the podcast version of THE WIRE.
Inspired by the horror film LIGHTS OUTS we look at the use of light on the silver screen, which proves to be a source of madness for the characters of our two selected older films INSOMNIA (1997) and SUNSHINE (2007). In the former, Stellan Skarsgard fights through the disorienting effect of constant daylight to both find a killer and keep his own sins from being revealed. In the latter, Cillian Murphy leads a crew on a quest to reignite the sun to save humanity, while battling increasing philosophical differences with his shipmates. We also discuss pubic hair on screen.
On this episode we try out elective goat testicle surgery in the new documentary NUTS! This strange procedure and film inspires a look back at goats on the silver screen, such as the poor victims of Sith and Jedi alike in THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS and the Satanic plotting of one very sneaky goat in this year’s early horror hit THE WITCH. We also make our case for advertising dollars from FarmersOnly.com so we can continue our contribution to podcasts on goat cinema at FollowingFilms.com.
On this episode we play peeping toms with the cinematic master of that lost art by discussing the new documentary DE PALMA. This inspires a conversation on that director’s approach to movie making and watching films in BLOW OUT and BODY DOUBLE. We also take a trip down memory lane to the days of VHS, the current state of our tangible film collection and the move to digital, all of which you can find more of on our site Following Films or my bitching on Twitter @warmachinehorse.
On this episode we HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE with guest Ben Zuk, as that new movie inspires a double feature of father figures and kids on the run from powerful forces in Clint Eastwood’s A PERFECT WORLD and the Sam Mendes film ROAD TO PERDITION.
On this episode we try to re-live our youth through the films of Richard Linklater. In the new to video EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! Linklater’s “spiritual sequel” to DAZED & CONFUSED, the director looks at an incoming college freshman as opposed to the latter film’s high school experience. And in SUBURBIA he adapts another person’s view of youth with the film version of Eric Bogosian’s play SUBURBIA.
On this episode we challenge the new documentary LIFE ANIMATED to make us fall in love with Disney films. Given that we are cynical by nature, to take on this task we seek inspiration in other cartoonists and how they approach the process of making art in the Harvey Pekar biopic AMERICAN SPLENDOR and a documentary on the making of a South Park episode 6 DAYS TO AIR.
On this, our 250th episode, we celebrate not only over 250 hours of producing the equivalent of film discussion farts, we actually have a new release on farting to go with it. In SWISS ARMY MAN Paul Dano is inspired to live again by a farting corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe. This buddy comedy inspires us to find more life affirming dead bodies in film, so we present to you a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock’s THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY vs. WAKING NED DEVINE.
On this episode returning hater Web Bist joins the podcast to defend our land against an invasion of sea creatures in MARCH OF THE PENGUINS and Stephen Chow’s THE MERMAID. This double feature has been inspired by new release THE SHALLOWS.
On this episode, two Woody Allen superfans try to manage his talent in the director’s film BROADWAY DANNY ROSE. Unfortunately a strange mob subplot in that movie has us heading to Los Angeles with John Travolta as he attempts to GET SHORTY. This double feature on talent wranglers has been inspired by new release GENIUS.
On this episode we bring in our resident clown expert, JD Duran of InSession Film to face his fears and a double feature of Stephen King's IT and Kevin Smith’s buddies in VULGAR. This particular combination has been inspired by Jon Watts’ new film, which is actually his first film, CLOWN.
On this episode writer and director Joseph Pernice joins me to discuss his new film CHASING YESTERDAY, which inspires a conversation on young people using sports to escape their small town and small minded people in BREAKING AWAY and WHIP IT.
On this episode film critic Erica Peplin joins me in a discussion on new release MAGGIE’S PLAN, a film about an odd strategy to reunite a divorced couple, which inspires a conversation with Margo from the podcast Book vs. Movie on PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED and Steven Soderbergh’s OCEAN’S ELEVEN. And while we fawn over the obvious heartthrobs Clooney, Damon, and Pitt… we save our love for show favorite Bill Hader.
On this episode we enjoy a bit of motherhood, a bit of death, and a whole lot of Penelope Cruz in a triple feature starring this great actress. In two previous films with her frequent collaborator Pedro Almodovar, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER and VOLVER, Cruz plays a woman doing what she can to protect her child’s future in the face of death. This is also the premise of her latest film MA MA.
On this episode we look at lives suspended by the loss of youth in LITTLE CHILDREN and CHILDREN OF MEN. In the former, Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson play a married couple whose affair recaptures a passion in their lives that they no longer feel with their own families, and in the latter families aren’t being made anymore as Clive Owen becomes responsible for the care of a woman who has given birth to the first child in almost two decades. But first we discuss documentary that is not an easy watch, but is ultimately very rewarding in new release PERVERT PARK.
On this episode we travel to Brooklyn to look at a great real estate investment with one of the Fabulous Baker Boys in Hal Ashby’s first film THE LANDLORD. This little-seen gem which was out of circulation for decades goes up against new release HIGH-RISE in a look at the relationship between tenants and landlords in film. But first, an even newer release with CASH ONLY which you currently find on iTunes and other VOD services.
On this episode we celebrate two years of this podcast by traveling to an in between place with friend of the show Colin Farrell in the Joel Schumacher Vietnam war drama TIGERLAND and Martin McDonagh crime comedy classic IN BRUGES. This episode is not only a celebration of our podcast (in true War Machine vs. War Horse form we didn’t even show up to our own party) as this is a lost episode we recorded a while back for THE LOBSTER which A24 picked up from the brink of not having a theatrical release, and is in limited release now.
On this episode we try to talk Jon Favreau and Emily Blunt through their cold feet in two very different wedding comedies that share cases of body horror. In the Peter Berg film VERY BAD THINGS Favreau and his groomsmen led by Christian Slater dispose of a dead body on an ill-fated bachelor party in Las Vegas. In THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT Jason Segel loses a toe waiting around for his nuptials in the most-hated state of Michigan. This particular pairing has been inspired by new body-horror film BITE which you can now find on iTunes, Amazon, and other VOD services.
On this episode we welcome Non, host of thepodcast Joy Sandwich into our green room for an episode onmusical performers dealing with the threat of violence while theyperform. This theme inspires a double feature of The RollingStones documentary GIMME SHELTER and the Elijah Wood starring GRANDPIANO. Those two films face off in a conversation that includesMuppet matchmaking with co-host Shane Conner and our other guestPaula from the Tell Me Stories podcast. But before youfind out which piece of Muppet ass that Elijah Wood can crush,let’s talk about one of the best films of 2016: GREEN ROOM.
On this episode we try to sell our listeners on the idea of waiting to see the disappointing film adaptation of Dave Eggers’ novel A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING with Brian of Movie Hot Take. Fortunately this film inspires a double feature with guest Dwight Hurst of The Broken Brain on men waiting to convince other men on what they are selling, whether it be a not guilty verdict in 12 ANGRY MEN or industrial lubricants in THE BIG KAHUNA.
On this episode we welcome two guests as THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR inspires a conversation about Emily Blunt’s plotting sisters. Erica Peplin, film critic for Spectrum Culture, PopOptic, and Vague Visages joins me for a double feature of SUNSHINE CLEANING and YOUR SISTER’S SISTER. But first, Andrew from The AB Film Review rolls some dice with me on the latest adventure of The Huntsman seeking a successful film franchise.
On this episode we welcome returning guest Margo from the Book Vs. Movie podcast as we debate ideas formed by the presence of former movie star Kevin Costner. In Lawrence Kasdan's THE BIG CHILL, his stunning portrayal of a corpse is the catalyst for his character’s college roommates to reexamine their youthful ambition and the disappointments of settling into middle age. Oliver Stone lets Costner run wild with conspiracy theories in JFK, as this fever dream of a film shakes the Costner character out of his comfortable life and on the trail of the President’s assassins. This double feature of two cinematic classics has been inspired, and will probably be the only thing inspired by the new Costner film CRIMINAL.
On this episode we welcome guest Ben Zuk of the podcast Cinematic for the People to help take film characters' lives apart. In THE GAME Michael Douglas is an isolated rich man who has existed in a world of great wealth and power for so long that he seeks out something new in the form of a live action game that will take over his life. And in EVERYTHING MUST GO Will Ferrell plays an alcoholic whose failed marriage forces him to examine the life and possessions he has built for himself from the comfort of his front lawn. This double feature has been inspired by the new release starring Jake Gyllenhaal: DEMOLITION.
On this episode we see the light in the crafting of country music personas by first seeing new release I SAW THE LIGHT starring Tom Hiddleston which leads us to a talk with musician Jacob Haller and host of the podcast Tell Me About Your Song on the Oscar winning biopic on Johnny Cash, WALK THE LINE. This very successful film goes up against a documentary on the struggles of the Dixie Chicks after a political comment made on the eve of the Iraq War in SHUT UP & SING sends the band's career in a very different direction.
On this episode we try to get the timing right in a discussion with Margo from the podcast Book Vs. Movie as we waste our youth on a double feature of Nancy Meyer’s SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE vs. David Fincher’s THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. These films show couples dealing with the complications of age and romance in the comforts of beautiful scenery, be it kitchens or at sea. But before we get ahead of ourselves I had a chat with Chris Revill of the podcast Let’s Chat on new release HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS.
00:35 - War Machine vs. War Horse theme.
1:02 - Episode intro
1:45 - HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS trailer.
4:07 - Guest Chris Revill of the Let’s Chat podcast discusses new release HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS.
32:10 - An It’s Terrific reading from Web Bist of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
44:05 - Margo from the podcast Book vs. Movie talks about what she’s been reading and watching on her show.
48:55 - SOMETHING’s GOTTA GIVE and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON mashup.
52:48 - Margo discusses our double feature.
You can follow us on Twitter @warmachinehorse, continue listening to the show on iTunes/Stitcher/or FollowingFilms.com.
On this episode we torture our listeners by bringing back former guest Dave from the podcast Pop Culture Case Study and we also talk quite a bit about the response to torture in Kathryn Bigelow’s ZERO DARK THIRTY. That film goes up against Stanley Kubrick’s PATHS OF GLORY in a theme of characters reacting to the distance between themselves and the killings they decide on, inspired by new release EYE IN THE SKY.
On this episode we have a battle with exes. After watching Warner Bros. apology for MAN OF STEEL in the form of BATMAN V SUPERMAN we bring on former host of this podcast, Jared Dotson, to reminisce about the format changes we’ve made to the show without having the character of Batman to fall back on. As a celebration of Jared’s appearance on the show, we discuss one of his favorite films, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, and see if the infatuations of a shallow young man still holds weight in our older years. Unfortunately we are much closer in age to the problems seen in KRAMER VS. KRAMER as Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep play a newly divorced couple fighting over custody of their son. A film very much of its time and seemingly a counter response to the women’s lib movement of the 70s, we discuss how the strong performances of Hoffman and Streep make up for the crushing disappointment that Meryl didn’t punch Dustin into a pile of a quarters. For more of that type of quality cinema, we turn to Zack Snyder’s newest meditation on motherhood in BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE.
On this episode I had the pleasure of forcing two other movie podcasters to experience first time watches of little seen films that deserve a big audience. That’s a not so subtle hint to our listeners to go check out 2001’s GHOST WORLD starring Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson as two best friends fresh out of high school and facing an adulthood pulling them apart. This goes up against my favorite film of 2013, THE SPECTACULAR NOW starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley as opposites influencing each other in the present and future as they leave youth behind. Both of these great films square off in a conversation with Ryan Snelling of the Filmbeef podcast, but first, I talk with Nate of The Best and Worst of the Best podcast about one of the best films of 2015 which is new to DVD and VOD, JAMES WHITE.
On this episode we bring in a friendly Canadian podcaster, Daniel of Get Reel Movies and a A Tale of Two Dans, to discuss a not so friendly Canadian film starring Christopher Plummer as a Nazi hunter. This inspires a conversation on two other films about past memories coming back to haunt characters hunting Nazis in Bryan Singer’s APT PUPIL and John Madden’s THE DEBT. But before we get ahead of ourselves and discuss the greatness of Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren (which is really all we want to do), we talk about the new release REMEMBER.
On this episode we lock ourselves in from the monsters on the outside, only to find ourselves fighting monsters on the inside. Those two monsters are Dwight Hurst from The Broken Brain podcast, who discusses those in control and being controlled in THE VILLAGE and COMPLIANCE. But first, our other guest is Ben Zuk from the podcast Cinematic for the People as we talk about the need to open one more of J.J. Abrams' mystery boxes in the new release 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE.
On this episode we attempt to comedically cover films that comedically cover wars. In GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM Robin Williams tries to balance entertainment with truth in his broadcasts to men serving their country in a divisive war. And in WAG THE DOG Robert De Niro and Anne Heche outsource the creation of a fake war to a Hollywood producer played by Dustin Hoffman in an attempt to distract from a sex scandal involving the President during his reelection campaign. This double feature has been inspired by the new film starring Tina Fey: WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT.
On this episode we attempt to out-talk fast talking foxes as seen in our double feature of Disney’s ROBIN HOOD, a traditionally animated film with a liberal use of the traditional art of tracing, going up against the modern stop-motion animation film FANTASTIC MR. FOX which frustrated the artists involved due to director Wes Anderson’s insistence on old fashioned techniques. The conversation on these two films that center around anti-hero foxes who operate outside of the law has been inspired by Disney’s new release ZOOTOPIA where a con artist fox teams up with a bunny cop for a buddy cop comedy that also has serious matters on its mind.
On this episode we discuss the choices of Terrence Malick. New release KNIGHT OF CUPS goes back to similar territory about choices in love, or how the lack of making a choice has lead to an unfulfilling existence, which we also see play out in his previous films THE NEW WORLD and TO THE WONDER. However both of those films differ greatly in providing a straightforward narrative, so we also discuss the continued evolution of Malick as a filmmaker, where he assaults the viewer with an unrelenting amount of visual choices, and confounds them with his storytelling choices of dropping characters in and out of his films with little or no explanation. Unable to explain KNIGHT OF CUPS, we make the choice to discuss timing your sexual prowess by the length of a GREEN DAY song, how THE TREE OF LIFE is similar to BRING IT ON, and also a shoutout to NBA legend Tom Chambers.
On this episode we play good cop, bad cop with COP LAND and L.A. CONFIDENTIAL. These two modern classics about cops using other cops for criminal gain make it hard to play bad cop so we look to interrogate new release TRIPLE 9, and see if there is more to praise other than our undying love for Casey Affleck.
On this episode I’m joined by this podcast’s resident therapist, Derek Stewart, who you may remember from the 45 YEARS episode, to plot against perfection. In GATTACA, Ethan Hawke plays a man whose future accomplishments have already been genetically determined at birth, and his plan with Jude Law to surpass them. Then we have THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, where Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon attempt to scheme their way into Cameron Diaz's heart, in a film that presents a more horrifying present than seen in GATTACA’s future. But first we travel back to the past in the new screen version of Jesse Owens' story in RACE.
On this episode we fulfill our side of the podcasting pain crossover challenge with our friends over at the True Bromance Film Podcast by creating an episode centered around the new release RISEN. In this story starring the soon to be screen version of Michael Jackson, a Roman soldier plays detective after the death of Jesus, but unless we wanted to get into really dicey waters that has felled such great artists as Martin Scorsese… we decided to go a different route and look at films that show creators bringing their creations back to life. In the Rob Reiner film adaptation of the Stephen King novel MISERY, James Caan plays a man who is forced by his #1 fan to bring back her favorite fictional character in a new novel. And then in the slightly more heartwarming Tim Burton film BIG FISH, a father and son attempt to connect with each other for perhaps the first time, by reliving the narrative of the father’s life in his dying days.
On this episode I have a bit of phone sex with Web from It’s Terrific, as we carry out our long distance relationship in podcast form by discussing the new date film HOW TO BE SINGLE. This inspires a double feature of Cameron Crowe’s SINGLES vs. Jason Reitman’s UP IN THE AIR which I talk about with Dwight from The Broken Brain podcast. But first, see if Web and I learn how to be single.
On this episode we decide that Ryan Reynolds talks too much. This conclusion was based on the extensive research of watching a double feature of the man’s work in DEFINITELY, MAYBE and THE VOICES. A matchup inspired by Mr. Reynolds first (?) box office success, the new release DEADPOOL.
On this episode we bring in author Ivan Infante as the fixer to this podcast, as he talks about fixers in the films SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and MICHAEL CLAYTON. All of this inspired by the new Coen Bros. film HAIL, CAESAR! And right after that, we try something new on the podcast as Web Bist from the show IT’S TERRIFIC reads a chapter from Mr. Infante’s novel FALSE RANSOM.
00:00:15 - Podcast theme
00:00:35 - Episode intro
00:01:10 - Hail, Caesar! trailer
00:03:30 - Hail, Caesar! and Coen Bros. filmography discussion.
00:33:18 - FALSE RANSOM chapter reading by Web Bist of IT'S TERRIFIC.
00:51:50 - Ivan Infante discusses his two novels and the upcoming FAKE BANK.
01:08:40 - SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS discussion.
01:20:20 - MICHAEL CLAYTON discussion.
01:52:00 - Episode outro
01:53:20 - Bonus Twitter talk on the genius of LexG.
On this episode we take a trip to the cinematic universe of Jane Austen with two returning guests. Karly of CoreTempArts and Natasha of Kentucky Geek Girl join the show for a double feature of CLUELESS and AUSTENLAND, inspired by the new release PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES.
On this episode we seek immortality in films with rock stars. In Tony Scott’s THE HUNGER, David Bowie plays a man promised eternal life dealing with a betrayal that puts his relationship and future in perspective. Whereas in DOGMA we see a lot of perspectives on the presence (or in this case lack of presence) of Alanis Morissette as God, debated by mortals and immortals alike. These lofty questions, plus we state a preference on Dungeons & Dragons character classes, maintain a hard line in negotiations with vampires, and obviously choose a Tony Scott film over Charles Dickens as our final act in this life. But before it comes to that, we discuss the new to video HE NEVER DIED starring Henry Rollins.
On this episode we welcome a professional therapist, Derek Stewart, onto the podcast to do a little marriage counseling with Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford in WHAT LIES BENEATH. We also debate who controls a life story in the very interesting Sarah Polley documentary STORIES WE TELL. This podcast session (which much to the distress of the creators is free of charge) has been inspired by the new release 45 YEARS.
On this episode, I welcome TWO guests to the show to come over and play with my dolls. In our double feature matchup, Claire from the Filmback podcast gives me advice on if I should move to Stepford where there’s something just a little off about THE STEPFORD WIVES, and also answers the pressing question of if my man crush Ryan Gosling will ever notice me after ordering a sex doll in LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. But first, regular guest Dave of Pop Culture Case Study, joins me for a pleasant surprise in this January dumping ground of cheap horror films, new release THE BOY.
On this episode we fend off home invaders with the help of Macaulay Culkin in the Christmas classic HOME ALONE and what we hope will one day be considered a horror classic in YOU’RE NEXT. Both films show the home invaders getting more than they bargained for from their victims and that’s also the case with our experience watching new release INTRUDERS.
On this episode we welcome guest Dave from Pop Culture Case Study for a family friendly episode on films about sex addiction. In Steve McQueen’s SHAME, Michael Fassbender plays a man with very few attachments struggling privately with sex addiction until his sister comes to stay with him and threatens exposure and intimacy that he can not bear. While in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s film, DON JON, he plays a man attempting to have an intimate relationship that is more satisfying than his connection to Internet pornography. But first we cheat on those films by doing a mini-review on new to video SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
On this episode we hang out inside Charlie Kaufman’s head in honor of his latest film ANOMALISA. This film about being trapped in one own’s skin and being unable to connect with loved ones inspires a look back at previous Kaufman attempts to tackle these themes in ADAPTATION where Nicolas Cage plays… well, Charlie Kaufman who fails to remove himself from a screenwriting job adapting a book about flowers. And in ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet play a brokenhearted former couple who have removed the memory of their failed relationship and in the process lose part of their own respective identities. But first, the identity of those around David Thewlis becomes hard to distinguish in new release ANOMALISA.
On this episode we freeze our asses off with Leonardo DiCaprio in THE REVENANT, and while we wait for another fight with a bear we watch two other films about people escaping a murder into the magic hour of Stanley Kubrick's BARRY LYNDON and Terrance Malick's DAYS OF HEAVEN. But first, let’s see if Leo can be like Anthony Hopkins and kill the bear!
On this episode we welcome guest Karly of CoreTempArts.com to enjoy the dangers of football from the comfort of our respective couches with Oliver Stone’s stylized look at sex, drugs, generational divide and race relations in his 1999 film ANY GIVEN SUNDAY. In stark contrast to that film (especially when it comes to sequences with alligators showering with large men) is the documentary LEAGUE OF DENIAL which looks at the concussion crisis that was recently dramatized in a new film starring Will Smith, CONCUSSION.
On this episode we are inspired by David O. Russell’s new film JOY to look at life changing inventions for inventors on film with co-host Shane Conner and guest Patrick McGill of Role Play Craft. In FLASH OF GENIUS, Greg Kinnear plays a man whose passion for engineering destroys his personal and professional life when his design is stolen by the very car companies he attempted to help. However in TEMPLE GRANDIN we see Claire Danes playing a woman whose designs enable others to see the world as she does as she finds both personal and professional success on her own terms. But first, co-host Tangible Teddy is the only man willing to talk with me about the much loathed JOY.
On episode 208 for THE HATEFUL EIGHT, I lock myself in a room of paranoia with Web from the podcast It’s Terrific and Berook from the Cinemabun podcast for a mix of more Kurt Russell and Quentin Tarantino in THE THING and RESERVOIR DOGS. We attempt to suss out the ultimate betrayer between these two films but first we take a ride to Minnie’s Haberdashery in Tarantino’s latest film.
