Normally when I sit down to watch a movie for a podcast, the idea of what that episode is going to be about strikes me as I watch. It hits like a bolt of lightning. However, that doesn’t always occur… Read More ›
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“The Last Duel” and the (Continued) Rise of Streaming
While it was always true that great movies didn’t necessarily find the appropriate reception at the box office, now, with the rise of streaming and a seemingly unending pandemic, we believe that we’re seeing a growing shift in how movies… Read More ›
Imagining “Antlers 2: Ordinary People”
Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons are just fine in Scott Cooper’s horror movie, “Antlers.” Jeremy T. Thomas is just fine as well. The story has some chills and some good visuals and an interesting, if too little explored, idea behind… Read More ›
“The French Dispatch” and “Ron’s Gone Wrong” or, Ending when You’re done
On this, our final podcast episode of the year, we’re going to take a look at two different movies that were released to blu-ray and streaming this month: “The French Dispatch” and “Ron’s Gone Wrong.” One of these movies tells… Read More ›
Howling at “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Movies are not obligated to provide us with good, moral, individuals. They can show us bad individuals and they are under no obligation to tell us that the characters are bad. None at all. Instead, it is up to us,… Read More ›
What About Beatty?
A few weeks ago we talked about Tom Cruise and for good reason. After all, the man is Tom Cruise and a classic movie star. This week, therefore, we’re going to talk about someone slightly more classic (or, at least,… Read More ›
“Shang-Chi” and the Legend of the Fourth Phase
Marvel has not done a great job with putting compelling villains on the big screen. The number of truly interesting ones can be counted, probably, on one hand, and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is no different…. Read More ›
On “Vanilla Sky,” the Tom Cruise one Where…
We desperately tried with this week’s episode to not do the whole “Tom Cruise is the last great movie star” thing, and we kind of(?) accomplished that. I mean, we make an argument that he’s a great movie star, but… Read More ›
Fun-Size “Candyman” too Constricted by its Wrapper
There’s a general sense about “fun-size” candy bars that there is in fact very little that’s fun about them — they are, simply put, not terribly enjoyable. They offer the sense of what is there in a regular-sized bar, but… Read More ›
Avoiding “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
What is it to tell the story of someone’s life? What does that mean? Surely it is a great responsibility and no one wants to do a shabby job. Sometimes, however, shabby is exactly how a biopic ends up. This… Read More ›
A Little Shouting About “Scream”
Okay, fine, Halloween was last week. We admit that, but also refuse to accept a world in which we can’t discuss a horror movie in November. Heck, the fifth “Scream” movie–which is not so cleverly titled, “Scream”–is being released this… Read More ›
Tuesday the 26th: Josh vs. Jason
It may have taken decades to get there, but I’ve finally watched the first eight “Friday the 13th” movies. Yes, only the first eight — they’re the ones set Paramount released this year (the other two in the original series… Read More ›
Rebecca Hall’s Performance Powers “The Night House”
We have, somehow, reached mid-October, and that means it’s time for horror movies (not that you can’t watch them any time). Out today on Blu-ray is “The Night House,” a mediocre haunted house film made quite good due to the… Read More ›
Now That it’s Out, was “Free Guy” Worth the Wait?
Do you ever sit there for months on end waiting for a new movie or game or book or album to come out? How often does all that anticipation, all that build up, find you disappointed when the thing finally… Read More ›
“Breakdown” vs. “Hardball”: Direct vs. Meandering
The Kurt Russell movie, “Breakdown,” knows what it’s about: this is the story of one man doing everything he can to rescue his wife after she is kidnapped. That’s it. The Keanu Reeves movie, “Hardball,” doesn’t know what it’s about:… Read More ›
“The Forever Purge” is the Scariest Yet
There can be a sense of relief sometimes when one finishes watching a scary movie — the credits roll, the thing is over, and you can look out your window and remind yourself that the real world is just not… Read More ›
Yucking it up with “Jungle Cruise”
I love the Jungle Cruise ride at Walt DisneyWorld. I know that it’s a little corny (or a lot corny), but it is an absolute favorite. I was, perhaps, a little trepidatious when it was announced that they were going… Read More ›
“Star Trek” and the Quest to be Better
At its best, “Star Trek” shines a light on our own humanity. It shows us how we could be better, how we could do more. It offers us not just those lofty ideals, but identifies its characters as being less… Read More ›
“Nashville” and “A Place in the Sun” and America
The movies “Nashville” and “A Place in the Sun” are both great. They both offer up not just engrossing stories, not just wonderful filmmaking, but important thoughts about the American Dream and the ways in which we can destroy it…. Read More ›
“Luca,” “Profile,” and Being Happy in your own Skin
We are better when we can be ourselves and have confidence in the knowledge that those around us will accept us as such. One needs look no further than Disney-Pixar’s “Luca” to see just how much it means to be… Read More ›
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