We’re deep in politically charged Chicago and talking all things 2018’s provocative WIDOWS! We discuss the careers of the cast, why the movie failed at the box office, Oscars 2018 and how much Clay loves the Liam Neason almost hate crime
Roxana Hadadi (Roger Ebert, Vulture) returns as we discuss James Gray’s cerebral sci fi odyssey in 2019’s Ad Astra! Together we unpack the haunting Brad Pitt performance, the theme of fathers and sons through Gray’s films, the films view on catharsis and 2010s auteur space films
William Goodman (GQ, Complex) returns for 2011’s WW2 adventure romp in CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FIRST AVENGER! Together we talk casting would ifs, MCU state of the union, Joe Johnston and Hayley Atwell being taken for granted and what MCU phase one
Hanna Phifer is here for 2019’s horror comedy with MA! We dig into why Octavia Spencer’s filmography needs fixing, how the movie is such a joke online, Blumhouse in 2019 and how bullying is a hidden theme of horror thriller in the 2010s
Bailey Herdè returns to help us discuss the clever Jump Street duology. Along with Tatum and Hill’s career and missed potential, how Phill Lord and Chris Miller weaponize nostalgia to their advantage and how the movie has a longer shelf life online through gifs and meme
Kambole Campbell (Empire Magazine) returns to the pod to help us cover Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus with THE WIND RISES. Together we go over the dubbed American cast, disproving how Ghibli isn’t similar to Pixar and similarities to Oppenheimer
Veronica Phillips (Film Daze) returns to the pod as we discuss the psychological horror sensation in It Follows! Together we discuss what makes us unsettled about the film being teens when we first saw it, the career of Make Monroe, our interpretations of the monster and horror at Cannes
Bryden Doyle and Charlie Nash (Almost Major podcast) are back as they picked Jim Jarmusch’s sensual ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE. Together we talk all things Tom Hiddleston, Detroit on film, Jarmusch going into the 2010s, vampire lore and trip hop
Sam Herbst is back for 2019’s Her Smell and how it fits into the 2018/2019 fictional musician character studies. Together, we discuss the careers of Alex Ross Perry and Elizabeth Moss, the excellent sound design, seeing the movie at TIFF, and the movies reputation now
Alison Herman (Variety) joins us for Paul Thomas Anderson’s beloved dissection into codependency and gender dynamics in 2017’s phenonomal PHANTOM THREAD. Together, we remember how remarkable Vicky Krieps was, showing the film to your partner, Jonny Greenwood’s score which is one of the best of the decade and how this toxic relationship compares best to Gary and Alana of LICORICE PIZZA
Scout Tafoya and Tucker Johnson (End of History video essay series) return to the pod for the forgotten but brilliant Sherlock Holmes sequel and its importance on getting blockbuster action. Together, we discuss RDJ’s and Jude Law’s careers, the relation Guy Ritchie has to Tony and Ridley Scott, lack of this era of London in cinema, and why we saw a third film made despite the first two film’s success
Sophie Shin (Letterboxd) joins us as we unravel the mystery of 2016’s ARRIVAL! Together we talk the unique screenplay, best actress 2017 and the infamous Amy Adams snub, seeing it in theaters, Denis Villeneuve’s 2010s run and the haunting score from the late Johann Johannsson
Eric Zipper is back as we revisit 2016’s Swiss Army Man! Together we unpack the career of Daniel Radcliffe, the films brave ending, 2016 in film and how the film compares to the Daniels’ EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Soraya Sebghati (Night Talks band) joins us for Paul Schrader’s haunting and prescient First Reformed and how we see the film aging after 2018. Together we zero in on Ethan Hawke’s remarkable performance, Clay and Jack seeing the film at 18, how Schrader evolves the Travis Bickle character and how the film speaks to America’s helplessness
We conclude a month of covering 2010s Scorsesse by having video essayist and filmmaker Taylor Williams chat with us about the eerie Shutter Island! We get into all, like mindfuck cinema, Leo DiCaprio in 2010, comparisons to The Shining and the films cultural legacy
Gillian Oakley joins us for Triple Frontier, which has been reevaluated since 2019 for being more about the fragility of contemporary veterans than just a typical military drama. Together we zero in on the careers of the leading men in the film, Pedro Pascal fandom, alternative castings and the commentary on the military-industrial complex
Michelle O’Connell (The Film Stage) is back as we continue going through Martin Scorsesse’s work in the 2010s. This time with The Irishman, which has us zeroing on Robert De Niro’s excellent turn, the de-aging of it all, best-supporting actor line up from this year and how Scorsese looks at the friendship of Hoffa and Sheeran
Josh Polanski is back for all things 2016’s Silence! Together we take the journey to the movie getting made, our own views on the emotional conflict and Liam Neasons’ 2010s career
Marya Gates (The Playlist, Roger Ebert) is back as we discuss Hugo and how well its aged since 2011. Together, we touch on Scorsesse’s mistake in capturing the history of silent films, films on streaming, 123movies, Babylon’s comparison to Hugo and Asa Butterfield
Valerie Keaton returns for another episode in horror month as she picks the remake of the classic Black Christmas! Together we unpack the urgency and frustration the film contains, Imogen Posts’ performance, more talk about the rise of Blumhouse and why the film failed at the time critically and financially. Clay Williams absent this episode
Kevin Tudor (Almost Major podcast) is back for John Erick Dowdle’s The Poughkeepsie Tapes. We get into it all such as the future for the found footage genre, the films botched release and how we judge the inconsistent performances
Oscar Goff (Boston Hassle) is back for Adam Wingard’s You’re Next! We go into his mixed output in the 2010s, the filmmakers acting in the film, how the film is compared to the last time we talked about Winged (Blair Witch) and how 2010s horror can be compared to the 70s in horror
Mitchell Beaupre (Letterboxd, Paste) returns for JASON BOURNE and BOURNE LEGACY as known flawed continuations of the beloved action franchise. We discuss the career of Jeremy Renner and Matt Damon, Tony Gilroy’s misguided script, if we are more a Ben or a Matt, that Treadstone tv show and the Bourne Legacy’s horrible ending
Would it help if we podcasted? Emily Diaz and Andy Germuga (Cannes I Kick It podcast) join us for 2015’s Bridge of Spies! We talk for the first time Tom Hanks (!) and his interesting 2010s, Mark Rylance’s Oscar win, Spielberg’s dad cinema trilogy this decade, what could “Bulit” looks like and how we took the movie for granted at the time
Billy Ray Brewton (The Incinerator) comes to the pod for John Carney's 2016 coming-of-age comedy Sing Street. Together we discuss 2010s Irish cinema, the films muted reception, the state of Star Wars and Clint Eastwood
Jesse Hassenger (Paste magazine) returns to chat with us with all things T2: Trainspotting and what the film meant in 2017. We’ll discuss Ewan McGregor’s 2010s, Jesse seeing the first one as a teen compared to seeing T2 as an adult, our favorite performances, and how Boyle managed to differentiates the film from other legacy sequels
Greg Hill Turner and Logan Kenny return to cap off double date month along with the 200th episode of Exiting! Together we unpack what makes The Other Guys so good all these years later, dissecting Mark Wahlberg, the fallout of Farrell and McKay leading to McKay’s more dramatic work and the perfect support cast
Peyton Robinson and Emily Jacobson (Filmdaze) return for Sam Levinson’s polarizing satire with 2018’s Assassination Nation! Together we talk generational differences with looking at the internet as cuspers, movies our parents like, Euphoria and The Idol
Emmy potter and Carrie Wittmer return for a reunion of Winona Ryder and Keanu Reaves in Destination Wedding. Together, we discuss how the Gen X icons have evolved in the 2010s, Winona’s ridiculous shoplifting scandal, how the movie compares to other films we have covered like Bridesmaids and Bachelorette and 90 minute movies
We explore class inequality in 1800s Manchester with Dan Mecca and Conor O'Donnell (The Film Stage, The B-Side podcast) and Mike Leigh's latest work in 2019's Peterloo. Together we talk Amazon studio some more, Leigh's decision to have a cast of unrecognizable character actors, Rory Kinnear's excellent performance and how Dan and Connor friendship through movies
