We kick off Noirvember 2024 in style with Charles Laughton's exceptional directorial effort: The Night of the Hunter , starring Robert Mitchum as a fire and brimstone "preacher" who preys on widows in Depression-era West Virginia, but meets his match in two small children hiding an expensive secret. The Night of the Hunter was Laughton's only film as a director, in which he employed a blend of silent film and stage techniques that make it one of the most unique and effective noirs in cinematic h...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 329
For our 300th episode, we finally discuss Jennifer Kent's brilliant 2014 horror film, The Babadook .
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 328
The Dames interrogate one of the more controversial of the great horror films: 1968's Rosemary's Baby , starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes, and directed by Roman Polanski. A complicated, multi-faceted film that's not always easy to talk about, both for its content and the feelings surrounding its director, there's no doubt that we have a lot to say about this one...including whether it might, maybe, be feminist (or not). We'll be back next week with Episode 300, talking The Babadook with a ...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 327
This week, we continue Spooky Movie Month with vampires! Specifically, the 1994 Neil Jordan horror adaptation, Interview With a Vampire . We're talking Tom Cruise, Anne Rice, Louis' incessant whining, and the way Kirsten Dunst would be unfairly branded for years to come.
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 326
Spooky season is upon us, which means SPOOKY MOVIES! We kick off this season with a legendary giallo: Dario Argento's 1975 film Deep Red , starring David Hemmings and the remarkable Daria Nicolodi. Murder has never been so weird.
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 325
This week, the Dames wrap up Fall Festival season with Taika Waititi's Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit . From (Fox) Searchlight, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. With so much humor and heart, we explore the brilliance of this World War II film told through the perspective of a 10-year-old Nazi.
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 324
The Dames go deep (hehe) on Guillermo del Toro's glorious magical realist fable (and Best Picture winner) The Shape of Water, and its deceptively simple narrative that combines fairy tale, biblical allegory, and transcendental love into something that is truly unique. Is this just the "fish-fucking movie" or is it so much more? Next week, we'll be discussing Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit , so get ready for that!
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 323
This week, the Dames dive into the twisted thriller, Gone Girl . Gillian Flynn adapted her own novel into the screenplay of one of David Fincher's most popular and debated movies. In this episode, we're talking all about everything that is so good and so wrong about this movie, from Rosamund Pike's Oscar-nominated performance to Ben Affleck refusing to wear a Yankees cap. Join us!
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 322
We kick off fall festival season with a lineup of major films that had their premieres at festivals past. This week we begin with Ang Lee's seminal queer western Brokeback Mountain (2005). How far we've come (and how far we still have to go). Next week will be David Fincher's Gone Girl !
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 321
This week, the Dames discuss another Hitchcock masterpiece, the 1948 thriller Rope . Starring Farley Granger and John Dall, this single-location technical experiment also marks the first time Alfred Hitchcock worked with star James Stewart.
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 320
We continue with our Hitchcock month with one of the more controversial movies in his oeuvre: Vertigo , widely considered to be Hitchcock's masterpiece. But is there really a reason for that? What makes this film stand out? Why does everyone love Vertigo so much—and the most important question...do we?
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 319
Welcome back, friends! After a very short break, the Dames return to celebrate the Master, Alfred Hitchcock's 125th birthday with his 1943 film, Shadow of a Doubt . Theresa Wright and Joseph Cotten star in this twisty, suspenseful tale set in California's wine country.
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 318
In honor of the great Shelley Duvall, the Dames discuss three films she made with Robert Altman: Nashville (1975), 3 Women (1977), and Popeye (1980). We maybe didn't know exactly what some of these meant, but man were they fascinating! Our Criterion giveaway is still running, so let us know what one Criterion disc you would love to own! We'll pick a winner on July 25!
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 317
Hello, again! This week the Dames are celebrating Criterion with something extra fun: cinematic blindspots. Our chat includes a look at Targets (1968), Thelma and Louise (1991), and Smiles of a Summer Night (1955).
Jul 17, 2024•58 min•Ep. 316
We're back with a second part of our ongoing series "Karen Loves Tom Cruise (and Lauren Thinks He's Neat)"! This time, we're chatting about three very different thrillers from three very different directors, all starring Mr. Cruise: A Few Good Men (1992), Minority Report (2002), and Collateral (2004) . How many of these should Tom have won an Oscar for? The answer may surprise you. Next week, we'll be chatting about some Criterion Channel films that one or both of us have overlooked: Smiles of a...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 315
The Dames wrap up Pride Month with a look at three great films about lesbians. First, it's the very sexy Bound (1996) from the Wachowskis. Then we chat about Rafiki , Wanuri Kahiu's 2018 coming-of-age story that was banned in her home country of Kenya. And finally, Rose Glass's newest film, Love Lies Bleeding (2024), starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian.
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 314
As Pride Month continues, the Dames go into the career of Rock Hudson, one of the most famous closeted actors of classic Hollywood. In this episode, we focus on three of Hudson's melodramas with Douglas Sirk, and how Hudson's star persona and undercurrents of queerness inform the films: Magnificent Obsession (1954), All that Heaven Allows (1955), and Written on the Wind (1956). Next week, we'll be chatting about lesbian films: Bound, Rafiki, and Love Lies Bleeding ....
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 313
It's Pride Month and this week we are talking about a pair of essential documentaries. With 1990's Paris Is Burning , director Jennie Livingston spent 7 years examining the drag scene in New York in the 1980s, leading to a groundbreaking film that is still discussed today. And in 2020, director Sam Feder brought Disclosure to Netflix, chronicling the experience of trans filmmakers and actors in today's Hollywood.
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 312
The Dames go in-depth on Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Psycho . Spoilers abound, with discussions of the film's performances, twists and turns, how Hitchcock connects emotionally with his audience, and why the sequels and prequel fail to live up to the original!
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 311
This week, the Dames pay tribute to Roger Corman, who passed away May 9, 2024 at the age of 98. We share our thoughts about the prolific director and producer, and then dive into three of his films: A Bucket of Blood (1959), Premature Burial (1962), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964).
May 29, 2024•57 min•Ep. 310
The Dames are back this week to talk more about summer blockbusters and super American films from a super American actor: Harrison Ford. Topics include the grumpy-man love story of The Fugitive (1993), presidents punching terrorists in Air Force One (1997), and haunted happenings in What Lies Beneath (2000).
May 22, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 309
It's summer blockbuster season and what better way to kick things off than with an episode all about Steven Spielberg! This week, we're talking Jaws (1975), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Jurassic Park (1993). Like what you hear? Be sure to share this with your friends!
May 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 308
The Dames finally cover the film that gave us our name as we discuss some incredibly essential films from the Criterion Collection (and why they're so important): Citizen Kane (1941), Seven Samurai (1954), and The Graduate (1967). So...what do you think about the significance of Rosebud?
May 02, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 307
This week the Dames are celebrating 4/20 with a lively chat about three very different movies with one important thing in common. From 1998, we talk the Coen brothers' The Big Lebowski and Terry Gilliam's Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas . And then we wrap things up with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's 2014 surprisingly successful sequel 22 Jump Street.
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 306
The Dames chat about the directorial work of the very underrated Penny Marshall, focusing on Jumpin' Jack Flash, Big , and A League of Their Own. Just remember: there's no crying in baseball (except there is).
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 305
This week, the Dames are going to work with three great comedies about women in the workplace. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy star in Desk Set (1957); Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton team up against their terrible boss in 9 to 5 (1980); and Melanie Griffith squares off against Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl (1988).
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 304
The Dames welcome guest Nannina Gilder to talk about the films of Kinuyo Tanaka, a director who carved out a space for herself in Japan's male-dominated film industry with feminist masterworks such as Love Letter, The Moon Has Risen, and Girls of the Night.
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 303
This week, the Dames talk about the career of six-time Academy Award nominee Thelma Ritter. And we dive into three of her great performances: All About Eve (1950), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), and Rear Window (1954).
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 302
This week, the raunchy ladies are talking raunchy ladies doing raunchy lady things, like failing to go to Vegas, starting female fight clubs, and learning about the importance of female friendships. Spoilers abound for Bridesmaids, Joy Ride, and Bottoms , but we're pretty cool about it.
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 301
This week the Dames look at historical films and biopics directed by women. Strangely rare and often underpraised, we sit down to talk about three great examples: Julie Taymor's Frida (2002), Ana DuVernay's Selma (2014), and Regina King's One Night in Miami (2020).
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 300
