New Favourite Movie

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 to whether they could actually pull off the insane in service of the art, and I think they are both successful.Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Jacob from Holland

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 VallelyGuests: Andrew Roberts, Brad Simon

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 VallelyGuest: Rachelle Younie

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 VallelyGuest: 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 VallelyGuest: 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, and then eventually with two filmmakers who have redefined American storytelling many times over.Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest Shahbakht

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…even though both eventually do deliver on that promise as well. Host: Ciaran VallelyGuests: Quinn Gale, Colleen Colwell

With the season finale of The Rings of Power coming out today, it felt like a perfect time to talk about the legacy of the Lord of the Rings movies, and some initial feelings about the show thus far. There are a few digressions in the conversation here and there, and we probably spend way too much time talking about the Irish accent of the Harfoots. Host: Ciaran VallelyGuests: Stuart Wilson, Chris McKenzie

The movie that changed the face of horror movies for an entire generation. Scream has endured as a classic for so long because it successfully does two things. Firstly, it delivers on the basic level of a teen slasher. The characters are fun to hang out with. The killer is creative and fresh. Secondly, it is a brilliant send up of all the horror movie tropes that had become boring and tired by the time Scream was released. You can go back many times and pick up new references or hints that Craven and Williamson were setting their sights a little higher than normal for these movies. While the franchise as a whole has certainly dipped at points, this is perhaps one of the most consistently strong horror franchise that we have today. With the release of Scream 5 this past year the franchise seems poised to take another new step under two new writers/directors who clearly grew up on these movies, and love them as much as the fans.Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Tannaz Keshavarz

Starting the October Horror Miniseries with the movie that redefined horror movies for my generation. The found footage trend was certainly around before The Blair Witch Project, but definitely not in the way it would be afterwards. However, I think that movie often gets lumped in with the cheap imitators who took all the wrong lessons. One movie that did learn the right lessons from The Blair Witch Project though was Neil Marshall's claustrophobic creature feature The Descent.Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Kunga Sagar

What is the best way to tackle a biopic? Is there an obligation to be factual and true, or should the filmmakers get a little more wiggle room to explore themes and ideas within the framework of telling someone's life story? I've grown extremely tired of movies literally just playing the hits from someone's life (mostly done for musicians or bands). The new Netflix movie based on the fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe certainly pushes boundaries and asks these questions, but if this is the end result I'm not sure this is what I would want either.

Perhaps the most talked about movie that no one had seen for many years, Don't Worry Darling opens wide this week, and we were there to see it for ourselves. The best sci-fi movies ask probing questions, and reflect our reality in a way that make us think about issues in a new and fresh way... Don't Worry Darling doesn't really do any of that. We breakdown the many controversies, what we liked and didn't like, the performances, and try to answer some of the questions we were left turning over in our minds when we walked out of the theatre. Suffice to say, Darling should have been worried, very very worried.Host: Ciaran VallelyGuests: Melissa Criminisi, Colleen Colwell, Quinn Gale

If you're gearing up for October and horror movie season, then I've got you covered to get an early start. There have been a lot of really great and fun horror movies so far this year, whether it's the latest Scream sequel, the Gen-Z paranoia of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, or the horror of politeness that is Speak No Evil. But in this recommendation episode I wanted to look at a couple movies that are using our expectations of the horror genre against us, and delivering something pretty unique.

Another year, another festival. another slightly deranged lineup of pre-movie sponsor advertisements. Welcome to the Toronto International Film Festival! With my ever trusty TIFF partner, we breakdown the movies we wanted to see but couldn't, the movies we want to see now after successful festival runs, and finally our Top 4 movies that we did see. This is our favourite time of the year, and despite the ticket mishaps, the long lines, and I can't understate how bafflling those sponsor ads get, we love TIFF and wouldn't change a thing...ok well maybe a few things. Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Melissa Criminisi

The coming of age movie is something that has been around since Hollywood realized teenagers and young adults have an abundance of disposable income. However, every once and a while a filmmaker wants to do something a little different with the genre, and these two movies are great examples of a filmmaker taking a tried and true formula but giving it a little twist (with a bonus discussion about Greta Gerwig who might be the best filmmaker at doing that currently working). Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Libby Caldwell

This week is all about the gangster movie, and when talking to my Irish cousin it was probably best to keep things focused on Irish gangsters. One movie is set in Boston, the other set in New York. One gave its filmmaker his greatest ever success, the other has been completely lost to time. However, both are filled with lots of alcohol, cigarettes, and famous actors!Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Bryan Wilson

I love animated movies, especially animated movies that take full advantage of the medium and shows us things that we wouldn't be able to see otherwise. Both of the movies this week achieve that in their own unique ways despite their very different approaches to style. Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Clara Wilson

Stanley Kubrick is often the boring answer to the question "Who is the greatest filmmaker of all time"...but sometimes the boring answer is boring because it is the right answer. Beside his reputation, his movies are rarely similar from one another, and that makes uniquely great to talk about on this podcast where I hope people check out more movies because I truly believe there is something for everyone. This episode was supposed to come out sometime around July 26ht, but my ability to procrastinate is stronger than my love of editing.Host: Ciaran VallelyGuest: Tom Costie

Back with another few things worth watching. Little bit of everything, so there should be something for everyone. HBO/Crave - Industry, Shiva BabyMovie Theatre - Bodies, Bodies, BodiesNetflix - Day Shift, Look Both Ways, Set It Up