It wasn’t that long ago that we praised Steven Spielberg’s gritty take on the war genre. Does Clint Eastwood’s similar approach to Westerns manage to capture our interest the same way? UNFORGIVEN is just as celebrated as Saving Private Ryan, but you could argue we have less of a connection to its origin and its stars. So do we find anything transcendent in Eastwood’s most acclaimed cowboy adventure? It’s all in this Real Talk segment! TIMELINE 00:01:26 I’m Coming Out! 00:01:57 Real Talk 00:53:10...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Props where props are due: back in 1992, Clint Eastwood figured out a way to turn his status as an aging cowboy into an asset. UNFORGIVEN may be an unremarkable Western, but Clint managed to trick critics and audiences into buying it as an exploration of the first half of his career - successfully fueling the second half. Listen to Alex & Julio as they try to determine if this movie has anything to say beyond “Eastwood is still a badass”! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Unforgiven 00:14:04 Contrarians Cor...
Nov 11, 2024•58 min
This one’s for the fans. And for us, honestly. It’s been ten years since we sat down to record the first episode of The Contrarians, and the journey has been fun, rewarding, and well-worth celebrating. So allow us to be more than a little self-indulgent as we stroll down memory lane, go over some of the show’s milestones and listen to messages from our friends and patrons! TIMELINE 00:00:59 Ten Years Have Passed 00:06:43 Not Just Our Friends And Family 00:11:40 A Magic Mailbox 00:23:38 Worlds Co...
Oct 31, 2024•2 hr 37 min
In a Contrarians year dominated by Peter Bogdanovich and PJ Hogan, will their filmographies take over our annual awards ceremony? The only way for you to find out is to listen to The Embries 2024, as we celebrate the last twelve months of Contrarians awesomeness by giving away Embries, Hooeys, Ruffalos, Gads, and The Lancaster Dodd Grant! TIMELINE 00:01:24 The Embries 2024 00:12:55 Supporting Actress 00:23:58 Supporting Actor 00:37:24 The Ruffalo 00:44:34 The Lancaster Dodd Grant for the Develop...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 51 min
We dragged poor Paul from The Countdown, kicking and screaming, through a Contrarians Corner dedicated to one of his favorite movies. Now it's time for the all-out praise-fest to be unleashed... or is it? How do we truly feel about SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and what do we make of that American flag waving us goodbye as the end credits get ready to roll? It's a heavier Real Talk segment than the one in our Shakespeare in Love episode, for sure! TIMELINE 00:01:26 Days Like Today 00:02:12 Real Talk 00:5...
Oct 11, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Oscars are like Pringles: you can't stop at just one. And that's why Steven Spielberg spent several years chasing the high of winning all those Academy Awards for Schindler's List - a journey that culminated in a Best Director Oscar for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. The price? Sucking the fun out of the war movie genre forever. Listen to Alex & Julio - joined by SPR Superfan Paul from The Countdown Podcast - question if the man was worth the mission! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Saving Private Ryan 00:15:42 Con...
Oct 11, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Okay, level with us, Judge Dredd fans: is the hate mostly about the helmet? The Contrarians are barely familiar with the 2000 AD comics, so it's very likely this Real Talk segment won't reflect the feelings of the average Dredd fan. But surely we can find common ground? Surely we can agree that Stallone looks great? And can this movie be judged as a 90s Sci-Fi Flick, separate from its comic book origins? TIMELINE 00:01:26 You Betrayed The Law 00:02:13 Real Talk 00:57:43 The Future & Patreon ...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Find us a more pitch-perfect casting than Sylvester Stallone's granite jaw as Judge Dredd. Find us a more delightful comic relief sidekick than pre-MAGA Rob Schneider. Find us a hotter cop/lawyer hybrid than Diane Lane. But the Tomatometer didn't care, and it stamped the 1995 JUDGE DREDD adaptation with a rotten 22% score. Listen to Alex & Julio as they celebrate a comic book movie that wasn't afraid to have fun with violence! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Judge Dredd (1995) 00:10:20 Contrarians Corner ...
Sep 30, 2024•56 min
Michael Fassbender: videogame geek. Who would've thunk it? There is certainly passion and determination to be felt when watching ASSASSIN'S CREED, but is it in service of a movie worth watching? This Real Talk segment finds Alex, Julio, Nerdbomber, and Techtic trying to crack the code to a successful video game adaptation! TIMELINE 00:01:26 Murderer 00:02:26 Real Talk 00:51:19 The Future & Patreon Stuff - Interested in more Contrarians goodness? Join THE CONTRARIANS SUPPLEMENTS on our Patreo...
Sep 20, 2024•56 min
Oh, how the world changes. Back in 2016, the ASSASSIN'S CREED movie was ahead of the curve, taking its source material seriously before people were ready to give video game film adaptations the respect they deserve. Poor Michael Fassbender put in the work to set up an ambitious franchise, and the Tomatometer stamped an 18% score on it. Listen to Alex, Julio, and special guests Nerdbomber & Techtic from the Online Warriors Podcast, as they defend this labor of love! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Assassin...
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Who said Tom Cruise has the monopoly on ridiculously over-the-top spy adventures? And what happens once you get past the Mission: Impossible comparisons when you are discussing PATHAAN? Neither Contrarian is familiar with the other movies in the YRF Spy Universe, but does that mean they can't fully enjoy Shah Rukh Khan's escapades? This and more in this Real Talk segment! TIMELINE 00:01:26 Ask Not 00:02:00 Real Talk 00:59:57 The Future & Patreon Stuff - Interested in more Contrarians goodnes...
Sep 13, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Once upon a time, Die Hard was the template for action movies. Die Hard On A Plane. Die Hard On A Train. But we are now in the era of Mission Impossible clones, so PATHAAN is the Hindi version of an Ethan Hunt adventure - a very popular one, at 82% on the Tomatometer. Is the Shah Rukh Khan vehicle worthy of all the praise? Listen to Alex & Julio as they dive into another Indian action blockbuster and try to make sense of the YRF Spy Universe! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Pathaan 00:13:18 Contrarians Co...
Sep 13, 2024•1 hr 1 min
PJ Hogan hasn't made a movie since 2012. That's more than ten years ago, guys - and maybe it's because people barely acknowledged the release of MENTAL. Did PJ's luck run out? Does Hollywood no longer have time for his particular brand of quirk? Whatever the case, how do The Contrarians actually feel about this last PJ Party? All this and more as we close down our Summer Event! TIMELINE 00:01:26 Don’t Dream of Madness 00:02:15 Real Talk 01:00:37 The Future & Patreon Stuff - Interested in mor...
Sep 01, 2024•1 hr 7 min
The moderate success of Confessions of a Shopaholic gave PJ Hogan enough creative wiggle room to go bananas again on his next movie. MENTAL is a clear return to form from a filmmaker who has decided he doesn't care to be embraced by the mainstream. Sadly, critics and audiences were happy to oblige, and this final PJ Party sits with a rotten 44% Tomatometer score, despite reuniting him with Toni Collette. Listen to Alex & Julio go to bat for this adorable Sound of Music homage! TIMELINE 00:01...
Sep 01, 2024•56 min
It's been quite a ride, this journey through almost every Bogdanofilm, and SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY - a star-studded critical and financial failure - feels like a fitting conclusion to it. As mentioned during Contrarians Corner, it's difficult not to read this as P-Bog very consciously making a farewell movie. But did we like it? And is our opinion influenced by the other movies of his we've watched over the Summer? TIMELINE 00:01:26 Audrey’s Wisdom 00:02:25 Real Talk 00:57:55 The Future & Patre...
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 2 min
We have reached the end of the road with Peter Bogdanovich. Our final Bogdanofilm is P-Bog's actual final film - and he probably didn't make any more because he got tired of the tepid critical reception to his best work. Listen to Alex & Julio defend the delightful SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY and bemoan the fact that we didn't get to see the filmmaker work with this generation of actors again. TIMELINE 00:01:24 She’s Funny That Way 00:14:00 Contrarians Corner - Wanna know how we really feel about S...
Aug 24, 2024•54 min
Critics may not have cared for PJ Hogan's fifth movie, but it made enough money to be considered another commercial success under his belt - and all he had to do was sell his soul? Listen to Alex & Julio debate if Hogan's uncompromising style may have been lost in whatever compromises he made while helming CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC. Plus: did we miss out on more Isla Fisher leading roles due to the collapse of the romcom genre? TIMELINE 00:01:26 The World Gets Better 00:02:07 Real Talk 00:...
Aug 16, 2024•58 min
If the world was a fair place, the Shopaholic Cinematic Universe would be at least six movies deep by now - all helmed by PJ Hogan and starring Isla Fisher. As it is, however, we must be satisfied with Hogan's single adaptation of CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, which was a decent box office hit but was buried by critics. Listen to Alex & Julio argue against Shopaholic's 27% Tomatometer score during The Contrarians' fifth PJ Party! TIMELINE 00:01:24 Confessions of a Shopaholic 00:13:26 Contrari...
Aug 16, 2024•50 min
Welcome to the aughts, P-Bog! Shame about that box office. But seriously, it’s impressive (and a similarity he shares with PJ Hogan) that people kept financing Peter Bogdanovich’s films despite so many of them being flops. But did THE CAT’S MEOW deserve its financial failure or was it worthy of its critical praise? This Real Talk segment tries to answer that question, as well as delving into the murkiness of accusing an actual real person of murder in your movie. TIMELINE 00:01:26 Dream 00:02:08...
Jul 31, 2024•57 min
Peter Bogdanovich stayed true to form as he entered the new millennium: by making a movie about stuff that happened almost a hundred years prior. THE CAT’S MEOW was a moderate hit with critics - so-called movie buffs who were happy P-Bog was just performing the same old tricks from earlier in his career. It takes more than a cast of fresh faces to wow The Contrarians, however! Listen to Alex & Julio as they wonder if it’s a fool’s errand for anyone to play Charlie Chaplin, and if Kirsten Dun...
Jul 31, 2024•55 min
Maybe Peter Pan adaptations are not meant to be box office hits. Don’t think so? Listen to us go through an unsettling overview of Neverland disappointments as we circle PJ Hogan’s critically celebrated but financially underwhelming PETER PAN. But reviews and dollars aside, how do we feel about this fourth PJ Party? Is it a rebound for Hogan, getting him back on both our good graces after his divisive previous movie? And what’s the deal with those people freaking out about the movie’s “adult” th...
Jul 22, 2024•58 min
Sometimes you can’t help but fail upwards. After the disastrous reception to Unconditional Love, PJ Hogan was somehow handed the keys to one of the most recognizable IPs in the world, and he was able to put his own quirky spin on the PETER PAN mythos. Critics gave it a fresh Tomatometer score, so that means The Contrarians need to give The Lost Boys a bit of a reality check. Listen to Alex & Julio as they struggle to make sense of the absence of actual musical numbers in PJ’s Neverland! TIME...
Jul 22, 2024•46 min
Regardless of whether anyone considers NOISES OFF a good or bad Peter Bogdanovich movie, it’s ludicrous that it’s not spoken about more often - and don’t even get us started on the meager Rotten Tomatoes coverage. But then again, a movie adaptation about a play that is in itself about the staging of a play could be a little too meta for some audiences/critics. Still… Don’t we all love Michael Caine? Even though this Real Talk segment features dissent among The Contrarians, we can at least agree ...
Jul 11, 2024•58 min
Welcome to The 90s, P-Bog style! After a tumultuous intermittent run during the previous decade, Peter Bogdanovich assembled another all-star cast and tried to make audiences laugh again with a film adaptation of the successful play NOISES OFF. If Rotten Tomatoes is to be believed, critics shrugged it off, if they even bothered to check it out. A shame, because this comedy has it all: Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, Superman, John Ritter, sardines… Listen to Alex & Julio praise this play-withi...
Jul 11, 2024•57 min
The release and reception of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE was akin to diving off a cliff after impressively free-soloing said cliff. The movie has its passionate defenders, so could it be that its failure was simply a reflection of a studio’s botched handling of an unusual comedy? Or did PJ Hogan whiff after giving the world two home runs back to back? And are The Contrarians divided on their appreciation of Kathy Bates’ adventures now that we are in the Real Talk part of the conversation? TIMELINE 00:00:...
Jul 01, 2024•52 min
It’s like PJ Hogan took all the complaints about him not being able to do anything but wedding-centric movies and set off to make his third film the most offbeat midlife crisis comedy of them all. As you would expect, change-averse critics and audiences turned their backs on this bold new direction in the filmmaker’s career and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE bombed as hard as My Best Friend’s Wedding succeeded. Listen to Alex & Julio try to shine a light on what’s very much a hidden gem of a PJ Party! T...
Jul 01, 2024•58 min
Our boy P-Bog took a hell of a tumble with this one. But you know what, you could say the same about Nickelodeon, and we disagreed with the Tomatometer on that one. So, is ILLEGALLY YOURS another instance of a good movie not getting a fair shake from critics and audiences? Can “Peter Bogdanovich does an 80s comedy” really be that bad of an idea? Our final verdict (and more!) is in this Real Talk segment! TIMELINE 00:00:41 Now on Patreon 00:07:01 Real Talk 00:44:58 The Future & Perennial Plug...
Jun 22, 2024•49 min
Rob Lowe and Peter Bogdanovich: The 80s team-up the world clearly was not ready for. Perhaps the most misunderstood movie in the acclaimed director’s filmography, ILLEGALLY YOURS barely has enough reviews on Rotten Tomatoes to even be acknowledged as rotten - a clear sign that more people need to watch this adorable jury duty adventure. Listen to Alex & Julio as they have a great time untangling their latest P-Bog screwball experience and casually discovering a new Johnny Cash banger! TIMELI...
Jun 22, 2024•51 min
Okay, let’s get serious about this. Whether you think it’s a little weird for PJ Hogan to follow his wedding-themed debut with another wedding movie, there’s a lot to chew on when it comes to MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING. How do we feel about the film’s moral stance? Does it embrace rom-com tropes more than it subverts them? Did Rupert Everett burn bright and fast while Dermot Mulroney played the long game? Is this the perfect example of why Julia Roberts reigned supreme once upon a time? All that a...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr
Wait a minute, didn’t we JUST do this? A wedding movie from Aussie director PJ Hogan? Perhaps the most shameless example of a filmmaker selling out as quickly as they could, MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING was a massive box office and critical success, so in a way you can’t blame Hogan for going Hollywood. You can nitpick his sophomore effort to death, however, and that’s exactly what this episode is about. Join Alex & Julio as they welcome Julia Roberts back to the show to judge her love life as h...
Jun 13, 2024•54 min
