Twenty goddamn years ago this week, The Matrix was released in the US, an event which launched the careers of the Wachowskis, spawned a briefly unavoidable and fitfully brilliant multi-media franchise, and had a seismic impact both on popular culture and how American action movies look and are made. To mark this anniversary, Ed and Emily discuss the enduring legacy of The Matrix , the Wachowskis' subsequent work, and some of the many, many parodies the films inspired. 00:00:00 - 00:12:40 - Intro...
Mar 25, 2019•55 min•Ep. 122
Inspired by a rewatch of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Ed and Emily discuss instances where they changed their minds about a work of art, how their relationships to specific filmmakers have evolved over time, and being able to admit when you don't like canonically "great" movies. They also discuss the college admissions scandal involving Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, Netflix's weaselly cancellation of One Day at a Time , and James Gunn's surprise reinstatement to the MCU. 00:00:00 - 0...
Mar 18, 2019•54 min•Ep. 121
Now that the dust has settled from last week's Oscars ceremony, Ed and Emily are ready to stir it up all over again by dissecting the winners of awards season, and what the victory of Green Book means for Hollywood more generally (assuming it means anything at all). They also discuss the controversy over possible changes to the Academy's bylaws that could exclude Netflix films in the future, and the best joke from long-forgotten 1990s animated anthropomorphic procedural Fish Police . 00:00:00 - ...
Mar 04, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 120
In a shorter than usual episode, Matt and Ed go without a theme and talk about some of the big film and TV stories of the week, including the Independent Spirits Awards, the sudden end of Netflix's Marvel TV universe, and the death of Stanley Donen.
Feb 25, 2019•42 min•Ep. 119
Inspired by the absolutely stacked cast for the new version of Dune , Matt, Emily and Ed spend this week's episode talking about movies with notable ensembles, as well as which genres benefit from a deep bench and the factors, both commercial and artistic, that can compel filmmakers to work with a big cast. They also try to parse the latest Oscars broadcast drama and the Aladdin teaser. 00:00:00 - 00:01:34 - Intro 00:01:35 - 00:27:45 - News 00:27:46 - 01:05:06 - Matt, Emily & Ed discuss movi...
Feb 18, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 118
Inspired by M. Night Shyamalan's Glass (which is mentioned briefly, but in a spoiler-free fashion), Matt and Ed discuss examples of long delayed sequels, particularly ones made by the same creators as the originals. They also talk about the dispiriting experience of watching the Super Bowl, the freshly completed BAFTAs, and the death of Albert Finney. 00:00:00 - 00:06:30 - Intro 00:06:31 - 00:29:35 - News 00:29:36 - 00:57:10 - Matt & Ed discuss Long Delayed Sequels 00:57:11 - 01:02:55 - SRS ...
Feb 11, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 117
In this episode, Ed and Emily cast their minds back to the golden age of physical media and misspent youths listening to Futurama audio commentaries, watching Lord of the Rings documentaries, and learning about the art and craft of filmmaking through special features and DVD extras. They also discuss the return of The L Word and the closure of Ultraviolet. Here is where you can watch Original Cast Album: Company , as recommended by Ed 00:00:00 - 00:01:15 - Intro 00:01:16 - 00:18:43 - News 00:18:...
Feb 04, 2019•51 min•Ep. 116
The Oscar nominations were announced this week, so Matt, Ed and Emily sat down to talk about the generally mediocre slate, the specific nominees and categories they do like, and the surprising snubs. They also discuss the 4% campaign and the ethics of making serial killer movies. 00:00:00 - 00:03:00 - Intro 00:03:01 - 00:25:14 - News 00:25:15 - 00:58:33 - Matt, Ed and Emily discuss the Oscar nominations 00:58:34 - 01:04:10 - SRS Recommends & Outro...
Jan 28, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 115
Having previewed the exciting movies of 2019 last week, this episode is all about the cool and interesting stuff coming to the small screen. Matt and Ed discuss some of the original ideas, long-gestating adaptations of great novels, and revivals that they're looking forward to, as well as the broader trends that continue to shift and roil the television landscape. - Here is a link to H.bomberguy's charity Twitch stream , as mention in the News section 00:00:00 - 00:32:07 - Intro & News 00:32...
Jan 21, 2019•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 114
All three hosts are reunited this week to look at what a new year in film has to offer. Matt, Ed and Emily each pick one movie from the first eight months of 2019 and advocate for why they think they could be good or interesting, and along the way they discuss their New Year's resolutions, the plot of the Clint Eastwood movie Space Cowboys , and the moral turpitude of Dr. Robotnik. 00:00:00 - 00:12:29 - Intro 00:12:30 - 01:40:49 - Matt, Ed & Emily preview the films of 2019 01:40:50 - 01:41:3...
Jan 14, 2019•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 113
Happy New Year! With Matt away, Ed and Emily catch-up on some of the news that broke over the holidays - including Louis C.K. going full right-wing whiner as an attempt to resurrect his career, the dismally small number of Hollywood films directed by women in 2018, and several dubious decisions made by Netflix - before digging into the Black Mirror movie/game Bandersnatch . 00:00:00 - 00:03:56 - Intro 00:03:57 - 00:45:57 - News 00:45:58 - 01:13:54 - Ed & Emily discuss Black Mirror: Bandersna...
Jan 07, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 112
It's the last episode of the year, which means it's Best Of time! Matt and Ed run down some honourable mentions before tagging Emily in to count down and discuss the Shot/Reverse Shot Top Ten Films of 2018, as determined by their eldritch ballot system. There's also way too much discussion of The Greatest Showman for an episode about a) good films b) films released in 2018 and c) good films released in 2018. 00:00:00 - 00:05:34 - Intro 00:05:35 - 00:17:22 - Honourable Mentions 00:17:23 - 00:30:2...
Dec 17, 2018•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 111
Inspired by two striking movies from 2018 about jobs and work - Andrew Bujalski's Support the Girls and Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You - Ed and Emily talk about some of their favourite movies and TV shows about the experience of doing a job. They also discuss the relatively boring Golden Globes nominations and the far from boring drama surrounding the Oscars. 00:00:00 - 00:20:13 - Intro & News 00:20:14 - 01:04:05 - Ed & Emily discuss movies and TV shows about work 01:04:06 - 01:13:13 ...
Dec 10, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 110
It's an All News episode of Shot/Reverse Shot this week as Matt and Ed discuss the future of streaming in a post-FilmStruck world, the trailer for the computer generated remake of The Lion King , and the deaths of Nicolas Roeg and Ricky Jay. They also find time to discuss Ed's ill-advised decision to watch Gotti , Fred Durst's directorial style, and sea shanties. 00:00:00 - 00:12:45 - Intro 00:12:46 - 00:48:14 - News 00:48:15 - 00:52:01 - SRS Recommends & Outro 00:52:02 - 00:55:27 - Shanty T...
Nov 26, 2018•55 min•Ep. 109
To honour William Goldman, the acclaimed screenwriter who passed away last week, Matt, Emily and Ed talk about their experiences with his work, then have a broader conversation about depictions of writing in film. They also mark the passing of Stan Lee, chew over the Independent Spirit Awards nominees, and say "Detective Pikachu" six thousand times. 00:00:00 - 00:39:50 - Intro & News 00:39:51 - 01:18:46 - Matt, Emily and Ed discuss William Goldman & films about writing 01:18:47 - 01:24:5...
Nov 20, 2018•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 108
Inspired by Disney's planned big-budget streaming TV shows, as well as stylistically daring episodes of current series, Matt, Emily and Ed spend this week's episode discussing ambitious television, including the massive scale storytelling of Game of Thrones , the claustrophobic use of long takes in The Haunting of Hill House , and the ways in which TV shows appropriate the aesthetics of video games. Mainly it's an excuse for them to rave about It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ,and there's some ...
Nov 12, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 107
Matt and Ed celebrate the biggest cinephile event of 2018 on this week's episode: the release of Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind , which hit selected theatres and Netflix this past Friday. They detail the film's long journey to completion - its chaotic stop-start production in the early 1970s, myriad financial stumbles, Welles' death, and its eventual resurrection at the hands of several of his most high-profile disciples - as well as the film itself, how its approach to editing was dec...
Nov 05, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 106
It's a celebratory episode this week as Matt returns after a few months away, and Emily officially joins the show as the third co-host! (There's even a musical number!) They mark the start of this new era with a discussion of the state of Cinema and film culture in 2018, inspired by this interview with Paul Schrader , as well as the news that the great streaming service FilmStruck is being shut down. 00:00:00 - 00:40:31 - Intro & News 00:40:32 - 01:01:00 - Matt, Ed & Emily discuss the st...
Oct 29, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 103
Inspired by the delicious yet ominous omelettes in Phantom Thread , as well as the ways in which that film uses food as a symbol for the shifting dynamics in its central relationship, Ed and Emily talk about food movies, and the ways in which different filmmakers use food as a metaphor for creativity, as a way to explore social issues, and to meditate on grief. And, of course, to make the audience hungry. That also ponder the baffling tagline for the new Hellboy movie and Banksy's latest stunt. ...
Oct 15, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 102
After a week away, Ed and Emily are back and, inspired by the debut of the trailer for Adam McKay's Vice , they discuss the times when the marketing for a movie promises one thing ("This movie is a light romp!") yet delivers something very different ("This movie is a complex depiction of marriage!") and the fine line that exists between misdirecting audiences so as to maintain a sense of surprise, and outright lying in order to sell tickets. They also discuss the one-year anniversary of the New ...
Oct 08, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 101
Ed and Emily catch-up on some of the news stories that broke over the last two weeks, including the Emmys, the controversy surrounding The Predator , and the strange saga of Fan Bingbing. Then they talk about indispensable performances; those times when an actor's work takes a movie from good to great, or where their ineffable qualities take something otherwise unremarkable and make it special. They also offer definitive proof that Columbo is antifa. 00:00:00 - 00:32:11 - Intro & News 00:32:...
Sep 24, 2018•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 100
It's another pre-recorded episode while Ed is on holiday, so there's no news this week but there is a lot of discussion about Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The Lonely Island's mockumentary which was criminally ignored on its release in 2016 despite it being one of the best American comedies of the last 20 years. Ed and Emily talk about the many great jokes, how well the film mimics the films that inspired it, and how its story plays out as a nightmare version of The Lonely Island's own sto...
Sep 17, 2018•44 min•Ep. 98
Ed's going on holiday for a couple of weeks, so he and Emily pre-recorded some non-topical episodes in which they talk about movies they love. First up, they discuss the bleakly funny and endlessly quotable high school satire Heathers , featuring early career-shaping performances from Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. They discuss the film's prescient examination of alienation, toxic masculinity and performative living, the long afterlife and legacy of the show as a home video staple, and why i...
Sep 10, 2018•47 min•Ep. 99
As film festival season heats up and studios start gunning for that number one spot at the Oscars, it can be a little bewildering trying to figure out what movies to look out for. You're in luck, though, because Ed and Emily are here to tell you which films coming out between now and the end of the year you should get excited about. This preview has everything : Predators, plaintive Japanese dramas, yelling about Nicole Kidman. 00:00:00 - 00:24:20 - Intro & News 00:24:21 - 01:21:17 - Ed &...
Sep 03, 2018•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 97
This week, Ed and Emily discuss the ways in which seeing a movie with an audience can affect their experience of the film itself, in ways both good and bad, as well as the ways in which certain fanbases (i.e. Star Wars and Rick and Morty fans) negatively impact the reputations of the shows and movies they like, and how that complicates the experience of watching those works. They also discuss Danny Boyle's departure from Bond 25 , and pleasant TV shows they've seen recently. 00:00:00 - 00:15:56 ...
Aug 27, 2018•57 min•Ep. 96
On this week's episode, Ed and Emily talk about Play for Today , the BBC's long-running anthology series which provided a platform for some of the best British actors, writers and directors of the '70s and '80s to create exciting, innovative works. They discuss some of the most (in)famous instalments (including Ken Loach's The Price of Coal , Mike Leigh's Nuts in May and Abigail's Party , Alan Clarke's Scum , and Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle ) and whether the series left a lasting legac...
Aug 20, 2018•59 min•Ep. 95
Inspired by the news that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is recasting a major character for thematic and artistic reasons - rather than because the original actor was a nightmare, as is so often the case - Ed and guest host Emily Benita discuss other examples of TV shows taking big risks, and whether the current glut of content has encouraged or lessened experimentation. They also try to make sense of the logic behind the forthcoming changes to the Oscars, and whether the idea of an Oscar for popular movie...
Aug 13, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 94
Ed and guest-host Emily Benita talk about rewatching movies (and TV shows) in this week's episode. Which movies do they return to for comfort and/or catharsis? How have their rewatching habits changed over the years? What do they get out of watching a movie multiple times? They discuss all of these questions, as well as the death of Barry Chuckle, the return of Jean-Luc Picard, and YouTube mistakes. 00:00:00 - 00:16:03 - Intro & News 00:16:04 - 00:46:23 - Ed & Emily talk about rewatching...
Aug 06, 2018•56 min•Ep. 93
Ed is joined by returning guest Emily Benita to talk about horror movies in the 21st century, with a specific focus on movies released during the last four or five years, and whether the genre is currently going through a golden age. They also talk about the latest developments in the Chris Hardwick scandal, the potential damage that could be caused by the Disney/Fox merger, and the Buffy reboot. 00:00:00 - 00:27:17 - Intro & News 00:27:18 - 00:59:22 - Ed & Emily talk about 21st century ...
Jul 30, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 92
It's been ten years since the release of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight , a film which achieved tremendous commercial and critical success, and for many seemed to legitimise the superhero story as a cinematic genre. It also inspired a lot of people to act terribly on the Internet. Matt and Ed look back at the movie and try to decide how well it holds up, and to make sense of its complicated legacy. They also discuss some of the news coming out of Comic-Con, and try to untangle the messy sit...
Jul 23, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 91
