Pulsating to the hypnotic beat of Kabbalah era Madonna, The Devil Wears Prada is a product of it's time in more ways than one. Kate and I discuss some of the more problematic messaging to come out of this light workplace comedy, whether we have ever worked for a Miranda Priestly-like boss, and why Adrian Grenier's Nate gets all this hate online. Hosts: Kate Vallely, Ciaran Vallely
This week Kate and I look back at the beginning of Kiera Knightley’s period piece domination. Jane Austen’s work has been the source for countless adaptations, but Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice stands out as one of the best. From the minor changes to the novel, to making Tom Wambsgans a credible leading man/love interest, there isn’t much about this movie that I think needs changing.
What a special day, I finally get to talk about Tom Cruise! (as if I haven’t found every chance to bring him up in the past) Not much of a breakdown on his running form, but that will come in a later episode I'm sure. Instead we focus on one of his only roles where he is an out and out villain. Kate also opens the door for another mailbag episode, so get your questions ready for her. Hosts: Ciaran Vallely, Kate Vallely
Get in loser, we're talking about Mean Girls! Hosts: Ciaran Vallely, Kate Vallely
Let it be known, I will only accept copaganda in the form on Edgar Wright parody homages! After hearing Kate disparage this movie (a movie she had not seen before I will add), I knew we had to do an episode on Hot Fuzz. Thankfully, she saw the error of her ways almost immediately, and ended up loving the movie. I would also like to take this chance to apologize to any listeners in the Dundas area for things said in this episode. It's only because I live in constant fear of what you are capable o...
Action movies are definitely cyclical. They all seem to follow a formula until something comes along and breaks that formula. As a response to the late 90s futuristic tech sci-fi worlds, this series decided to go ultra grounded, real world cities, and back to basic combat. If he wasn't a star already, the success of this movie and franchise would eventually make Matt Damon one. And if nothing else, it's a movie and series that Kate and I can agree on, so that should count for something. Hosts: K...
I think by this stage it's clear that Kate and myself have different tastes in movies. So the only logical course of action was to put two movies up in the same episode and talk about each. As luck would have it, Kate had not seen Layer Cake, and I had not seen The Young Victoria. Both deal with power, corruption, wealth, and British class divisions, which sounds good and would have been better if either of us could have made that connection when we recored the episode! Hosts: Ciaran Vallely, Ka...
Very few studios have had as big of an impact in recent years as Pixar, so we of course had to talk about one eventually. And when deciding what to do first we chose a movie that Ciaran hadn't seen before, so Kate is the expert this episode! We rank our top 5 Pixar movies at the end (with typically chaotic results). Hosts: Kate Vallely, Ciaran Vallely
Normally I would take this space to explain a little about the movie or why we decided to watch and talk about it. Maybe tease it with a joke, or just try some creative way to allude to the movie before you click play. However, this week something so shocking, so insane, so mind blowingly catastrophic was said on the podcast (by Kate of course) that I’ve decided to take this opportunity for a PSA: Go see Francis Ford Coppola movies! All of them, even the bad ones! Right now (well after the podca...
Every week when Kate and I sit down to record and build the catalogue of this podcast, the same conversation inevitably happens. "That should be enough episodes." ... "Do you think we need one more?" ... "You think we need one more." ... "Ok, we'll do one more."
It was a night of redemptions, a night of emotions, and a night where anything anywhere could have happened all at once…and that was just the 6 Nations Rugby. Despite one (or ten) too many references to “The Slap", I think this was easily the best Oscars telecast in years. The speeches were good, the winners mostly deserving, they presented all of the awards live on air (shocking that that should have to be included as a plus), and the Academy actually took steps to explain why and how these awa...
This is the second Best Picture winners miniseries episode, and as we said in the previous episode, the polar opposite to Gladiator. Ciaran is slowly starting to learn how to love musicals. Until the lockdown he would have said musicals were my least favourite movie genre. However, on his journey to watch more Best Picture winners he knew he was going to run into many musicals, so might as well go in with an open mind and try to enjoy them. Unfortunately for Chicago, this did not work for him. H...
Episode One of the Best Picture Winners Miniseries sees Kate and myself going all the way back to the first 2000s movie to win the Best Picture Oscar. This historical epic is certainly using the language of many previous Oscar winners that came before it, and at its core has two breakout roles for the leading men. Directed by a prolific filmmaker, who has become an Academy favourite, and never seems to stop working. Kate has some truly shocking questions and confessions. I'm going to have to sta...
Nothing has dominated the movie landscape and box office quite like the MCU and superhero movies in general. So with that being said, lets go back to where it all started. Iron Man actually came out pre-Disney acquisition (something that I think goes a long way to explaining why I enjoyed it). Starring Robert Downey Jr. at the beginning of his big comeback, and giving fans just enough of a hint of the future plans for the larger cinematic world, Iron Man became a massive hit and the MCU was off ...
Animation, especially mainstream Western animation, has always had a “for kids” connotation attached to it. Maybe it’s because of the popularity of Disney, but people seen animation as a genre instead of as a medium. Thankfully that is not the case elsewhere, and although there are many artists who have been pushing the boundaries of animation acceptance throughout the years, one man in particular has become the shining light in that regard. I have been talking about this director and these movi...
K - Katanas and Kimonos I - "If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be cut." L - Lucy L- Liu B - Bride I - Ironside by Quincy Jones L - Lancaster, California L - Lee, Bruce V - Vipers, Deadly O - One Eye L - Lady Snowblood 1 - 1,2,3,4, 5.6.7.8’s Hosts: Ciaran Vallely, Kate Vallely
… I have a condition that if I start to talk about a movie, or describe it in anyway for too long, I can sometimes forget how I started or why. Just letting you know now in case I repeat myself later… Welcome to the first official episode of Friday Nights at Blockbuster (the first one with a proper introduction anyways). We will be looking back at some of the biggest, most popular, most important movies from the 2000s. And to start off I wanted Kate to fill in a rather large gap from her film wa...
Welcome to the new show - Friday Nights at Blockbuster - where Kate and myself will look back at the movies that shaped the 2000s. But before we get to those movies, there is the small matter of the Academy Award Nominations. We talk about the big winners of nomination morning (the Irish), the snubs, and give a couple predictions about who/what we think will win the big prizes. Plus Andrea Riseborough...what the hell happened there! Hosts: Ciaran Vallely, Kate Vallely...
More guests and their favourite movies of the year. I also quickly run down my top 10 movies of the year, because indie hit The Batman really needs the support of this podcast. Host: Ciaran Vallely Guests: Carly Pokoradi, Tom Costie, Melissa Criminisi, Stuart Wilson
End of the year is a time to reflect. 2022 has been a bit of a bounce back year for movies. We are through most of the pandemic delays now, and many of the best filmmakers are returning with deeply personal movies. I wanted to do a best of the year episode, but didn’t want to just sit and talk about the movies I loved, because this whole podcast is about movies you love. So with that in mind, I’m joined by a few different guests to talk about the best movies of 2022, and maybe what we are lookin...
Lots of interesting questions, and some interesting answers. The questions about Soccer movies were a particular sore spot, but I powered through. Host: Ciaran Vallely Guest: Kate Vallely
Have I come around on Avatar and the inevitable dominance of its sequels? I wouldn't say that, but my feelings about most box office dominating franchises are well known and not worth stating anymore. So maybe the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Host: Ciaran Vallely
Two movies about long boat trips, where are protagonists decide into obsessive madness, and the journeys are a metaphor for the existential struggles of man. Real date night stuff going on here. With Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola really cemented his legacy for pushing the boundaries of filmmaking, and it nearly killed him. James Gray claims Lost City of Z nearly killed him as well, but I think he’s just being funny. Both movies can be seen as experiments from their respected directors as ...
Cult classics are a difficult thing to wrap your head around. It tends to mean that your movie has flopped and made no money, but also that years later people have rediscovered the movie and cherish it. Donnie Darko is certainly one such movie. From a director that has more or less gone on to do nothing, Donnie Darko continues to stump and confound audiences with what it actually means. The second half concerns Ken Russell, perhaps the patron saint of cult classics. Host: Ciaran Vallely Guests: ...
Love is love. It comes in all shapes, sizes, and settings (unless that setting is the 2022 World Cup…but lets not go down that road). But the two movies this week take different looks at the exciting rollercoaster ride of falling in love. Whether that be unconventionally with your computer, or a little more conventionally with another person. One is jam packed with fun futuristic world building touches, and the other a more grounded and tactile period piece. Host: Ciaran Vallely Guest: Rachelle ...
With the weather turning (there is literally snow outside as I post this), we could all probably do with a couple movies that make us feel warm and cozy. These two may be on the polar opposites in terms of how they are getting to that feeling, but they both ultimately have the desired effect. I believe this is also the first time I've been able to talk about a real foreign language movie, so yay for that! Host: Ciaran Vallely Guest: Caroline Gill...
Labeling The Da Vinci Code a murder mystery might be a stretch, but just come along for the ride. We are living in a murder mystery renaissance after all. Host: Ciaran Vallely Guest: Kate Vallely
The Western genre has been around as long as movies themselves. They never really go away because they are so cheap and easy to make. However, what do you get when you take some of the most genuinely talented filmmakers ever, and give them something that just plays around with our long established expectations of what a Western should be. The two movies this week see the first real subversion of the genre, by an Italian filmmaker who had no personal connection to the romantic ideals of the genre...
This is it with the horror movies, I promise… well unless a guest picks one. But if this is it, better to go out with one of the absolute best. The Exorcist has been called the scariest movie since the day it was released. So what makes this movie’s reputation so lasting? Well I try to unpack that question. This would have been easier to do with a second person, and I did originally have one, but for “technical reasons” I’m going solo this time. Host: Ciaran Vallely...
Tough one for the mothers out there this week. The term “elevated horror” is probably equal parts celebrated for its attempts at bringing new ideas, different themes, and certain styles to the horror genre, but also derided for being a bit snobby. You can classify either or both of the movies this week as elevated horror or not (the term didn’t exist when Rosemary’s Baby was released), but what is clear is both movies have more on their mind than just delivering some cheap thrills and scares…eve...
