The Pick: Rock ‘n’ Roll High School

We just wanna have some kicks, we just wanna get some clicks! This week, in honor of the return of school that accompanies any September, we’re enrolling at Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. Coming from the same blog/podcast feed that hosted a show called Rokk Talk, we can’t help but get into talking about the Ramones and how it’s both strange and amazing that they got to be such an integral part of a delightful little comedy. We also talk a bit about the Roger Corman production company and ethos that birthed the movie, as well as the unsung story of director Allan Arkush and his Letterboxd feed. Gabba gabba hey! Continue reading →

The Pick: A Touch Of Zen

Another week has gone by and Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is once again at the top of the U.S. box office. Who knew that releasing a Marvel movie in theaters without the option of streaming could actually make you a bunch of money? While touching on Shang-Chi a bit in this episode, the bulk of it is dedicated to a different kind of martial arts film. A film often considered the first “arthouse martial arts movie” as well as the high point of director King Hu’s career, 1971’s A Touch of Zen. We talk about Hu’s career as well as the complicated conception of Zen, its lasting impact on its genre, and even make room on the show for a new segment. Continue reading →

The Pick: Candyman

Don’t say his name 5 times, but feel free to listen to this podcast 5 times (you know, in case you miss some of the nuances). In lieu of the Candyman remake that came out last week, we’re taking a look at the original 1992 film while also offering a few thoughts on how the two movies compare. We also get a bit into the character’s background and how it’s kind of a miracle how effective this character is (even if his mythology is inherently a little inconsistent). Also, if that isn’t scary enough, John offers his take on a mutant hybrid of a snack concocted by Pringles and Wendy’s. Continue reading →

The Pick: The Talented Mr. Ripley

As another strange Summer comes to a close, we take a trip to Italy by talking about 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. We do a bit of a deep dive into the many past (and future) adaptations of author Patricia Highsmith’s most famous creation as well as a brief look at Highsmith’s career. This conversation goes in a lot of different directions and we spend a surprising amount of time talking about Chris Kattan. How do we get there? Well, you’ll just have to listen and find out. Continue reading →

The Pick: The Suicide Squad

We’ve reassembled the squad for the first episode of The Pick of 2021! Hopefully this will be another fun and fruitful run of episodes that will see us continue to do what we do best — forcing each other to watch movies and then talk about them. This episode sees us diving into a recent release that probably would’ve been more fun to watch in a theater than on HBO Max, but that’s the reality of living in a world that can’t quite return to normal. Also, each one of us offers some decidedly musical Little Picks, which marks the return of John exploring McDonald’s recent trend of half-baked promotional meals endorsed by pop stars. Continue reading →

The 5th Annual Criterion Month Draft

And we’re back with our first podcast in quite some time! Just as the NFL draft happens each Spring, a far more important draft also happens this time each year, where we pick what movies we’ll be reviewing for Criterion Month. Like every year, it’s an odd exercise in talking about movies we haven’t seen yet while there isn’t much competition as to whether one of us will steal each other’s pick. Still, the boys find plenty of arty movies to look forward to seeing in a summer that should actually see the return of theater moviegoing and possibly a newfound appreciation for this medium that we already know and love. Continue reading →

Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2021

2020 was a weird year for movies, to put it mildly. 2021 will most likely be just as weird, as we look forward to films that will mostly be available on streaming while still holding out hope that a few choice releases will make their way to theaters by the end of the year. While the circumstances have changed, Sean and John once again compile their lists of their most anticipated movies, while I take a look at the movies that probably won’t be any better than they were before having their release dates pushed back. This podcast is always a fun one, and as per usual we’re joined by our old friend Matt Carstens. Continue reading →