To celebrate Christmas (and at the behest of our Superdelegate patrons), we took a flight on Victor Ziegler's Lolita Express to a big mansion in Long Island, where we watched Stanley Kubrick's EYES WIDE SHUT (1999). We had a great time revisiting a movie that only gets richer and stranger with every viewing. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/95244713
If society outlawed emotions, could we stop all war and conflict? This is the very, very stupid question at the heart of EQUILIBRIUM (2002), the dystopian extravaganza that introduced the world to the art of "gun kata." Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Get Will's new project "The Journal of Stoogeological Studies: An Unauthorized Three Stooges Fanzine" US: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CPM5JBPB Canada: https://amazon.ca/dp/B0CPM5JBPB UK: https:/...
For years, one political satirist has dared to push the limits of comedy with such groundbreaking fake-news headlines as “Matt Gaetz accuses Kevin McCarthy of behaving like an adult” and “Trump accuses media of not listening to the voices he hears in his head." But could that be set to change? With news that The New Yorker has laid off its resident liberal jokesmith, we consider the comedy and philosophy of Andy Borowitz. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/484-farewell-948...
The French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte have inspired a lot of takes... so, of course, you can depend on Ridley Scott to find the least imaginative one. We discuss his lugubrious NAPOLEON (2023). PLUS: An update on Canadian politics, and some thoughts on the man who may be Prime Minsiter, Pierre Poilievre. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
Is Popeye the Sailor a deep Jungian archetype? Did Sweethaven's tax-and-spend government lead the way for Reaganism? Is mankind divided between Blutos and Wimpys? These and other pressing political questions will not be answered in our discussion of Robert Altman's POPEYE (1980). PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/482-smorgasbord-94440388
In the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq War, HBO made a movie about the lead-up to the first Gulf War, from the perspective of its most important factor: CNN. In LIVE FROM BAGHDAD (2002), Michael Keaton and his team of CNN reporters are Davids against the Goliaths that are establishment media... and the Iraqi security state. We discuss a mind-bogglingly awful piece of American propaganda from the Bush era. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Richard ...
The boys begin by hashing out plans for the possibly-will-never-exist-but-also-possibly-will-exist-one-day "Michael & Us: The Book." Then, they move on to Christopher Nolan's OPPENHEIMER (2023), and try to identify the ideological outer-limits of a liberal political blockbuster circa 2023. PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/94066645
Ed Harris is a senator with presidential ambitions. Diane Keaton is the love of his life, but uncomfortable in politics. And with the White House in his grasp, his campaign is about to be rattled by a very, very stupid revelation from her past. We discuss Michael Lindsay-Hogg's RUNNING MATES (1992), a movie that emerged straight from the primordial ooze of the 1992 election cycle. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
The old saying goes that "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," but it helps if the men are very, very stupid. We discuss Martin Scorsese's KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, in which the architect of a Native American genocide finds an easy pawn in one of the lowest-IQ protagonists in movie history. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
By popular demand, we discuss one of the most beloved movies of the '90s (and a movie Luke had never seen!): Michael Mann's HEAT. Does the line between "cop" and "criminal" start to blur? You'll have to listen to find out. PLUS: The boys come to blows over Ridley Scott (sort of). PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/93531453
Everything is terrible, so we watched MOUSE HUNT (1997). PLUS: Can AIPAC knock out "the Squad" from Congress? Why is IDF propaganda so bad?? And how do Democratic insiders see their path to re-election??? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/476-of-mice-and-93079709
We've talked a lot on this podcast about "the end of history" and "lost futures," but how about a world with literally no future? We discuss CHILDREN OF MEN (2006). PLUS: Society is becoming more politicized. What does this mean? WINDSOR: Luke will be in Windsor to promote his new book Seeking Social Democracy. See him Sunday, November 19 at 5pm at Biblioasis Bookshop: https://biblioasisbookshop.com/events Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus...
Reviled upon its first release, Richard Kelly's dystopian sci-fi satire SOUTHLAND TALES (2006) has earned a cult following that sees in it a prophetic vision. We wade through the soup of its sounds and images and debate what, if anything, this collection of late-Bush-era sounds and images is saying. This one has been a long time coming, folks! PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/474-fluid-karma-92647940
What if Britain's notorious right-wing GB News channel gave fading comedy hero and current "anti-woke" nuisance John Cleese a weekly show to do whatever he wants? Folks... the results may surprise you. We discuss the first few episodes THE DINOSAUR HOUR, the Monty Python legend's baffling new show. PLUS: Checking in on the Doug Burgum and Chris Christie campaign juggernauts. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
Luke speaks to former McKinsey consultant turned whistleblower Garrison Lovely about his September cover story in The Nation magazine, the secretive but hugely influential business of elite management consulting, and what he saw inside the world's most prestigious — and notorious — management consulting firm. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE BONUS - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-of-w-91914451
While the rest of us were locked indoors, Boris Johnson and his staff were enjoying lockdown-era parties. The ensuing scandal helped topple his premiership. We discuss the new TV movie PARTYGATE (2023), and reflect on how the former British Prime Minister failed to "democratize the hedonism." PLUS: We find a choice bit of forgotten Alexandra Pelosi content from the archives. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/92102138
It's Halloween, so we offer a fond nod of the hat to our old old friend Count Dracula by discussing NOSFERATU, PHANTOM DER NACHT (1979) - and because we've both just read Werner Herzog's new autobiography, we discuss how its depiction of science vs. the unknown fits squarely into the larger Herzog project. PLUS: More reflections on the crisis in Gaza. VANCOUVER: See Luke and Ed Broadbent in conversation at the Central Library on November 1 - https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/650b36ea2d0219cf8...
In this special interview episode, Luke talks to Ettingermentum about the defining figure of modern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They discuss how Netanyahu's long political career has fundamentally reshaped Israeli society, and how the October 7 attack has changed his legacy. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - GET IT HERE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/470-height-of-w-91780490
Would you believe that our old friend Alexandra Pelosi has released her second film about January 6th in less than a year? In THE INSURRECTIONIST NEXT DOOR (2023), our favorite scion tries to find "common ground" with some of the rioters who breached the Capitol... and ends up making the same movie she always makes. We will never quit you, Alexandra Pelosi. PLUS: Who is to blame for Canada's cost-of-living crisis? PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - GET IT HERE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/469-patriot...
With the crisis in Gaza on our minds, we spend a little time with one of the most acclaimed Palestinian filmmakers, Elia Suleiman, and his lovely film IT MUST BE HEAVEN (2019). * "We Cannot Cross Until We Carry Each Other" by Arielle Angel - https://jewishcurrents.org/we-cannot-cross-until-we-carry-each-other * Order Luke's new book "Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality," coauthored with Ed Broadbent - ecwpress.com/products/seeking-s…cracy-ed-broadbent TORONTO: See L...
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/467-underwater-90598569 What happens when the most famous Nazi filmmaker makes a nature documentary at the ripe age of 100? We watch Leni Riefenstahl's UNDERWATER IMPRESSIONS (2002), and see if we can find any traces of fascism in the swan song of Hitler's favorite filmmaker. PLUS: Is the internet getting worse?
In DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN (1987), Charles Bronson wages a one-man war against the Los Angeles drug trade, despite being as old-looking as anyone has ever looked. We discuss how the ridiculous fourth entry in the iconic action franchise takes its reactionary politics a step beyond "law and order." PLUS: We discuss two milestones in cinematic surrealism (1989's THINGS and 1994's TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME) and bid farewell to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Preorder Luke's new book "S...
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/465-no-movie-90050486 We catch up on the news, with due consideration given to: ✓ The latest Republican presidential primary debate ✓ Rolling Stone's list of "The 50 Worst Decision in Movie History" ✓ Canadian parliament salutes a member of the Waffen-SS
Late in his career, Akira Kurosawa plumbed his subconscious and came up with DREAMS (1990), one of his most underrated films. We discuss the ways that this film captures the mood and style of a dream, and its unifying theme of humankind's relationship with nature. PLUS: We attempt to define the ambient politics (and anti-politics) of the post-Trump years. "Martin Scorsese: 'I Have To Find Out Who The Hell I Am'" by Zach Baron - https://www.gq.com/story/martin-scorsese-profile Join us on Patreon ...
In 2019, Clint Eastwood's RICHARD JEWELL took aim at two institutions — the FBI and the media — that were supposed to save America from Trumpism. We discuss one of the veteran auteur's most beautiful films, which is also one of his most loaded and ambiguous political hot-potatoes. PLUS: David Brooks' expensive meal, Doug Ford's about-face, and Jean-Luc Godard's film criticism. "David Brooks and the $78 airport meal the internet is talking about" by Timothy Bella - https://www.washingtonpost.com/...
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/462-most-famous-89633259 In 2009, a wildly popular movie told the allegedly true story of a poor black football player who was uplifted by a rich white family. Nowadays, the movie's real-life subject says that the reality of the situation was very different. We discuss THE BLIND SIDE (2009), the most racist Hollywood blockbuster this side of D.W. Griffith. PLUS: Tim Ballard, the subject of Sound of Freedom, is at it again!
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/461-set-of-89409879 We Need to Talk About the Death (or Rebirth?) of Cinema. On this special episode, we gather to discuss David Zaslav, Harmony Korine, Richard Linklater, and other visions of cinema's future (or lack thereof).
In Robert Altman's MCCABE & MRS MILLER (1971), a couple of entrepreneurs find themselves crushed by monopoly capitalism. Of course, this could only happen in a small Old West mining town. We discuss the power and beauty of one of the greatest films of all time. PLUS: A primer on the Ontario greenbelt scandal, and why are Joe Biden's poll numbers so bad? Preorder Luke's new book "Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality," coauthored with Ed Broadbent - https://ecwpres...
PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/459-jerrys-kids-89032472 From 1966 to 2010, THE JERRY LEWIS MDA LABOR DAY TELETHON raised billions for muscular dystrophy causes. It also lived long enough to become a relic of a long-gone monoculture, and incited the wrath of disability advocates. We discuss a bona fide American cultural phenomenon from a very, very different time.
Widely described as "Hollywood's response to the Lewinsky scandal," THE CONTENDER (2000) imagines a Vice Presidential confirmation process derailed by sexism and moral prudishness. We excavate some Oscar bait from the very tail end of the Clinton Era and find... yes, another Politics Movie™. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus
