John Wayne is, of course, synonymous with the classic Hollywood Western. Yet, the first movie of his we're covering on this show is actually a romantic comedy. Wayne reteamed with director John Ford and Maureen O'Hara for 1952's The Quiet Man. And the shift in genre paid off for the trio behind 1950 Western Rio Grande. The Quiet Man turned out to be one of the year's biggest box office hits. And we were honored to welcome film critic Caitlin Kennedy to the show to discuss the movie. We'll discus...
Jul 08, 2020•53 min
Another year has passed, and once again, Rob is celebrating his birthday with a special episode. Last year, he brought on his mom, Jeannine Yaniz, to talk Who Framed Roger Rabbit . Now it is Kai Yaniz in the hot seat. And the movie in question this year is Judd Apatow's 2005 comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin. We'll discuss how well the movie's sense of humor has aged, the flawless ensemble cast, and how the movie's premise is ultimately a bit deceptive. Moreover, Rob and Kai will discuss why Apatow'...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 29 min
Riddle me this, riddle me that... it's finally time to talk about the Bat. That's right. Somehow, the Crooked Table Podcast has never taken on a Batman solo movie. And with news Michael Keaton may return to the Batsuit, the Dark Knight's future has never been brighter. Sadly, that exciting news came out the same day we learned of director Joel Schumacher's passing. So, on this episode, partially in tribute to Schumacher's work, Kai Yaniz joins the show as we watch and discuss his 1995 film, Batm...
Jun 29, 2020•2 hr 22 min
This episode, we return to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for an in-depth chat about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In many ways, Year Two feels like the end of an era for the franchise. Director Chris Columbus left after this point, taking the warm and fuzzies largely with him. And the late Richard Harris makes his final appearance as Albus Dumbledore. Teri Sears joins the show to help us unlock Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We'll address why the movie is perha...
Apr 30, 2020•1 hr 12 min
For the second time, we're covering a James Cameron film on the show. And just like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens is a testament to the filmmaker's ability to deliver a thrilling, game-changing sequel. The 1986 follow-up to Ridley Scott's Alien is the rare example of a second film elevating its predecessor by building on what's come before in innovative new ways. And like T2, Aliens was so good it doomed its franchise to decades of desperate attempts for relevance. Will Nexii joins the show...
Apr 24, 2020•1 hr 10 min
As soon as we caught a glimpse of the infamous first trailer for Cats, we knew it would be a perfect addition to our Crooked Commentary series. After all, we've talked about some great films in the last few installments, including The Nightmare Before Christmas , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , and When Harry Met Sally... So it's about time we get Crooked Commentary back to awesomely bad movies like The Room . Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), Cats assembles an ou...
Apr 16, 2020•2 hr 14 min
As a righteous dude once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." That and countless other insanely quotable lines propelled writer/director John Hughes' 1986 hit, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, to become one of the biggest comedies of the decade. Even now, more than three decades after its release, fans are still discovering and revisiting Ferris Bueller's Day Off Kimberly Cook returns to the show to dig into why Hughes' release is her fav...
Apr 09, 2020•1 hr 2 min
It's April Fool's Day! And because we can all use a bit of silliness right about now, the Crooked Table Podcast is setting aside the usual format for a timely jaunt into the world of magic and illusions. No democratizing the film criticism conversation this week. And this week's special episode isn't even (exclusively) designed to be a tie-in to our just-launched Harry Potter series . Rather, the concept is directly inspired by a longtime friend and recurring guest of the show. The Famous Ashley...
Apr 01, 2020•52 min
Last year, we had a blast running through all nine episodes in the Star Wars saga. But now that the Skywalker has risen (kinda?), we're turning our attention to a bunch of British witches and wizards. That's right: 2020 is the year of Harry Potter. Because this year really could use a bit of magic right about now. Bri Azmoudeh of Geeky Girl Gab joins the show to help us travel back nearly two decades -- yes, really -- when J.K. Rowling's best-selling book series first made the leap to the big sc...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 29 min
In the interest of providing broader coverage of cinema history, we always love the chance to cover either a classic or foreign release. So, of course, it was a blast to cover Federico Fellini's 1963 Italian film, 8 1/2. The film is more self-reflective than most, a cinematic fever dream brought to life. The parallels between Marcello Mastroianni's Guido -- a middle-aged movie director at a creative and personal crossroads -- and Fellini himself are stark, blatant, and fascinating as hell. Brian...
Mar 28, 2020•53 min
In the 1980s, few filmmakers were as in-demand and influential as John Hughes. The man basically created the concept of the teen movie with films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Yet, after that run, Hughes did the last thing anyone expected: he grew up. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles marks his directorial entry into adult comedies. And boy, is it a great one. Jamie Williams last appeared on the show to talk 1999's Man on the Moon . But n...
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr 9 min
After Whiplash won critical acclaim and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for J.K. Simmons, writer/director Damien Chazelle could have done anything. So, naturally, he decided to make a modern-day tribute to lavish Hollywood musicals of yesteryear. The resulting film, La La Land, went on to become an unprecedented smash, to the tune of nearly $450 million worldwide. Although it didn't win the Academy Award for Best Picture , Chazelle's film finally gets its due on our show. The Lady-Wan of Screen Fi...
Mar 20, 2020•1 hr 29 min
Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan won his first Academy Award for the acclaimed domestic drama Manchester by the Sea. But more than a decade and a half before that film, Lonergan burst onto the scene with his directorial debut, You Can Count on Me. Both movies tackle the fallout of family tragedies and feature standout performances. You Can Count on Me focuses on the broken bond between a sister (Laura Linney) and brother (Mark Ruffalo). And while neither guest Dames Marvs -- from CF3: Cult Fans,...
Mar 02, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Director Robert Eggers burst on the scene in 2015 with The Witch. And when he did, horror audiences didn't know quite how to react. The film -- subtitled "A New England folktale" -- follows a Puritan family in 1600s New England and its inevitable descent into hell. However, its period setting, era-accurate dialect, and slowly building tension came across as jarring to audiences accustomed to jump scares and slasher films. Amy Otero joins the show this episode to help us analyze what makes The Wi...
Feb 20, 2020•1 hr 36 min
For us pop culture enthusiasts, 2019 was one for the record books. Just on the movie side, moviegoers the finale of Marvel Studios' "Infinity Saga" in Avengers: Endgame and witnessed the end of Skywalker story in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, the year brought a ton of sequels, reboots, and spin-offs of various quality levels. But it also delivered unexpected -- and Oscar-winning -- treats such as Jojo Rabbit, 1917, Marriage Story, and director Bong Joon-ho's Parasite . We already ...
Feb 14, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Foreign films usually make a very limited impact at the domestic box office. At best, they mostly wind up attracting love from critics or perhaps some prestige awards. Almost never do they break into the mainstream the way Parasite has. Co-writer/director Bong Joon Ho's film blends dark comedy, thriller, and horror elements into an irresistible bit of social commentary. Now Sade Glover of Offscreen Babble returns to the show for a deep, spoiler-filled dive into Parasite. The last time Sade was o...
Feb 06, 2020•1 hr 37 min
Event Horizon hits theaters in 1997 to a disappointing box office response. Yet, like so many genre films, the Paul Anderson -- the Resident Evil guy, not the There Will Be Blood one -- sci-fi/horror hybrid has developed a cult following. So, as our first regular episode of 2020, we're taking a look at how the movie has held up and why its combination of Alien and Hellraiser is worth seeking out for those who haven't caught up with it. Jon Cohorn of Modern Horrors -- who previously helped us ent...
Jan 30, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Ah, 2019, we hardly knew you. With the passing of another year — and another decade, more or less — it's time again to run through some of our favorite movies from the past 12 cinematic months. So what are our top movies of the year? Last year, Marvel Studios made an incredible showing atop our 2018 retrospective . With three releases in 2019, can Marvel claim a spot in this year's list? We have lots of great stuff planned for 2020, including our Harry Potter series. First, hear Rob reveal the 1...
Jan 23, 2020•51 min
2019 is about to head off into the sunset, but we can't let the year pass without a Crooked Commentary. For this fourth entry in the series, we follow The Room , The Nightmare Before Christmas , and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with the seminal romantic comedy (and underrated New Year's Eve movie), 1989's When Harry Met Sally... Of course, Kai Yaniz returns to watch the film, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. We'll talk about how Nora Ephron's script shaped modern cinematic love stories...
Dec 30, 2019•2 hr 4 min
Just as Lucasfilm says goodbye to its own Star Wars saga, so must we do the same. After spending most of 2019 working our way through George Lucas' "galaxy far, far away," we've come to the final installment of our Star Wars series. This week, we'll discuss Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. To complete this epic journey, Lucasfilm recruited The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams. So, in keeping with that, we've brought back our guest from our original Star Wars episode, Kai Yaniz . ...
Dec 24, 2019•2 hr 11 min
It's the holiday season. So, of course, it is time to bust out all our favorite Christmas movies. We've got White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, and — what do we have here? — Gremlins. That's right, folks. That 1984 Joe Dante horror-comedy about a furry little Mogwai with a very particular set of rules is technically a Christmas movie. And we'll take any opportunity we have to revisit a nostalgic favorite. Cristian Garcia of Nerds with Friends joins us to talk about why Gremlins is such a ...
Dec 17, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Even more than most genres, mockumentaries just aren't for everyone. So perhaps — despite The Lonely Island's built-in fanbase — Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping failed to bring in an audience in 2016. In a blatant parody of Justin Bieber or other recent music sensations, the film follows fading pop music icon Conner4Real (Andy Samberg). Sandro Falce of Oldie But a Goodie joins the show to help us spread the word about Popstar's insanely underrated status. We'll discuss how the movie follows t...
Dec 10, 2019•57 min
People just love to hate on Adam Sandler. Perhaps the reason behind this is how little his comedic persona has evolved since the days of Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer. Or maybe just not enough moviegoers have seen Punch-Drunk Love. This 2002 romantic comedy/drama from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson marked a surprising departure from Sandler's usual work. Although the film does go for some laughs, it is far more esoteric than Sandler's usual broad style. In fact, the film digs deeper...
Dec 03, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Throughout 2019, A24 has further cemented its dominance as a safe haven for distinctive creative voices. In just the past few years, the company has given moviegoers releases as diverse as Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, Ex Machina, and Room. And easily one of this year's A24 highlights — and indeed 2019 cinema, in general — has been Lulu Wang's poignant and hilarious The Farewell. Sade Glover of the Offscreen Babble podcast joins the show to discuss how Wang's second directorial effort infuse...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 1 min
The year 1999 is the gift that keeps on giving. We're already covered several key releases from that year, including The Matrix , Fight Club , American Beauty , and Office Space . Now, this week, we welcome freelance writer and critic Albert Lanier to the show to discuss Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut. Released 20 years ago, this compelling thriller is the stuff of legend. A notoriously long shoot, friction with the MPAA, and of course, Kubrick's death soon before it hit theaters. ...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr 35 min
In the eighth (and penultimate) installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we take on the most divisive installment. That's right, folks. This week, we're talking Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi. Kerri Jones returns to the show to talk about how Johnson's film upends the franchise, its thought-provoking depiction of the Force, and the tantalizing possibility of Reylo. Strap in, Star Wars fans, because this episode probably won't please all of you. Every month ...
Nov 12, 2019•2 hr 9 min
In the seventh installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we revisit our two-part conversation from 2015 on Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. The first hour was recorded before Rob and guest Kai Yaniz saw the film, serving as a summary of what came before. Then, part two delves deep into J.J. Abrams' film, its comparisons to A New Hope, and what we hoped to see from the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Every month for the rest of 2019, we've been discussing another episode of the...
Nov 12, 2019•2 hr 6 min
Some movies land with audiences immediately, while others don't find their fans for years to come. Wet Hot American Summer is one of the latter. Featuring a star-studded cast of comedy talents, director David Wain's film is a quirky ode to '80s "camp" classics (pun intended) and sex comedies. Its popularity grew so much over the years that Netflix ultimately produced two limited series based on the film. David Rosen of the Piecing It Together podcast joins the show to discuss the phenomenon that...
Nov 04, 2019•51 min
With the upcoming release of Terminator: Dark Fate, now is the perfect time to reflect on the series. In 1991, Terminator 2: Judgment Day surpassed James Cameron's original classic and set a new standard for blockbuster cinema. Josh Bell of the Awesome Movie Year podcast joins the show to talk about how T2 changed the world of cinema forever. We'll discuss how Cameron was able to successfully build on his own mythos, what the subsequent sequels have missed, and how we hope that Terminator: Dark ...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 2 min
In the sixth installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we bid farewell to the pre-Disney era of the franchise. Way back in 1983, director Richard Marquand ended the original Star Wars trilogy with Return of the Jedi. Now, Michael Hinman of Alpha Waves Radio joins us to conclude our coverage of the George Lucas's original three-part vision for the "galaxy far, far away." Every month for the rest of 2019, we'll be discussing another episode of the Star Wars saga, building up to the r...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 19 min
