Make the Case

Join Conrad, Shwin and special guests Rebecca Goldstein, Simon Schiller and Dylan Visvikis as they break down their favorite films of the year. We laughed! We cried! We blew up a pipeline.Please note that while we try to avoid specific spoilers, if you want to go into these films completely fresh, you may want to wait to listen to this pod or to avoid the specific segment on the film in question.Below is a list of of the films we discussed with handy timestamps so that you may skip around:May December 00:03:54Beau is Afraid 00:12:09 Killers of the Flower Moon 00:18:55 Priscilla 00:30:08Wonka 00:36:38Oppenheimer 00:46:52 Poor Things 00:58:02 How to Blow Up a Pipeline 01:04:35 Zone of Interest 01:12:07 Satlburn 01:28:43 Honorable Mentions 01:35:50 (Past Lives, Shortcomings, Theater Camp, Bottoms, Sanctuary, The Holdovers, Monster, Juwan, Landscape with Invisible Hand, Missing, I Have To Do This)Other Things We Liked This Year 01:42:29 (Succession, The Last of Us, Jury Duty, I'm a Virgo, The Bear, Game Theory with Sam Vecenie, Troye Sivan's "One of Your Girls," Spider-Man 2 (the video game), The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen)

...OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE POD!Today, we make this pod short and sweet, as we talk Stanley Kubrick's nuclear panic satire, DR. STRANGELOVE!Topics include: 1) What is the corollary today for fear of nuclear war in 1965; 2) Are we more  afraid of atom bombs or bodily fluid theft; 3) did we want Peter Sellers to play a fourth role? (Of course we did).If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode!

THEY TRAINED THEM TO PODCAST FOR THEIR PLEASURE...  BUT THEY TRAINED THEM A LITTLE TOO WELL!! // HOW DID THEY EVER MAKE A PODCAST OF LOLITA?In this episode, we continue our analysis of Kubrick's career with the "Least Kubrick" of Kubrick's films: Kirk Douglas' SPARTACUS and Vladimir Nabokov's LOLITA! Topics include: SPARTACUS' tangled web of inconsistent subtext; the historical significance of SPARTACUS in breaking Hollywood's communist blacklist; an unexpected analysis of Brad Pitt's legacy; if there was  a good reason (besides $$$) to make a movie of LOLITA; alternate  Humbert Humbert casting ideas (including Marlon Brando and Matthew McConaughey), and a Hitchcock movie ranking.If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode!

IN ALL ITS FURY AND VIOLENCE… LIKE NO OTHER PODCAST SINCE “BLANK CHECK” AND “THE BIG PICTURE”!This week, we kick off our most ambitious series yet: a retrospective on the films of Stanley Kubrick, one by one, from the very beginning, INCLUDING BARRY LYNDON (that sound you just heard was Shwin crying in anguish). We start with Kubrick’s first two studio pictures, THE KILLING and PATHS OF GLORY.Topics include: the historical context in which Kubrick came to self-actualize as an “auteur;” which directors and films were inspired by The Killing’s non-linear, cerebral approach to a pulpy crime plot (we’re looking at you, Nolan and Tarantino),  and whether or not Paths of Glory should be considered a satire.If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode!

HE'S A PODCAST CO-HOST. HE WILL RISK HIS LIFE, THE LIVES OF HIS FAMILY, EVERYTHING HE HOLDS DEAR FOR THE ONE THING HE HOLDS SACRED... THE TRUTH.This week, we finish off our Oliver Stone trilogy with his operatic paranoiac JFK. Released in 1991, this film tells you that if you think Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, you're just not asking the right questions. Who benefits from the most epic conspiracy theory propaganda ever propagated by Hollywood? You, the consumer of course!!Topics include: What exactly did Oliver Stone make up, and what were his intentions with the film? What is the appeal of Kevin Costner? And did the guy Joe Pesci is based on really look like that? We find out live!If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode.

WHAT HAPPENS IF IT ACTUALLY PODS?This week, we loop back to the 2004 cult classic time travel drama from Shane Carruth, PRIMER. Famously shot for $7000 (we have some thoughts about that) and supposedly containing enough information to articulate its own plot (we have some more thoughts about that), the film is a taut, psychological thriller about the deterioration of a friendship, and we go back to interrogate its existence.Did we understand this movie? Maybe? Did you? Why are you asking so many questions? Is it because this movie is so confusing? Is that your double standing behind you?If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode.

EVERY POD HAS A PRICE.This week, we continue our Oliver Stone series (to Conrad's chagrin) with Stone's 1987 opus on greed, which takes place on a very well-known street in downtown Manhattan.Is greed good? Is Charlie Sheen okay? Should Martin Sheen have played Gordon Gekko? Should Oliver Stone have been a stockbroker instead of a filmmaker? Let's discuss.If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode.What’s your favorite Oliver Stone movie? Please don't say the Putin docu-series. Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 or message us on twitter at @makethecaseshow — we want to hear from you!

In this pod, we bring in special guest Lester Lee of Dead Seriousness dot com to help us tear down this wall: How is this movie an interesting intersection of Fury Road and John Wick? What makes Charlize Theron so compelling as an action star? And what the hell is the plot of this movie? (Spoiler: neither of us have any idea).If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode. And if you liked what you heard from Lester, you can find him on twitter at @thelesterlee & @deadseriousness and substack at lesterlee.substack.comWhat’s your favorite Charlize Theron movie? Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 or message us on twitter at @makethecaseshow — we want to hear from you!

SOMEONE YOU PASS ON THE STREET MAY ALREADY BE THE GUEST OF YOUR POD.It's a special Valentine's Day episode of Make the Case, as special guest Rebecca Goldstein presents an argument for the Nora Ephron classic You've Got Mail!If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode.Did we miss your favorite part of YOU'VE GOT MAIL? What's the romantic comedy you like to watch with your SO? Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 and we might play it on the next pod!

POD. OR BE PODDED.In this pod, we tackle the big questions about football, and life: Does this movie have the greatest sports monologue ever? Is Jamie Foxx underrated? Why does "Bubble Pacino" work as a burnt out, old school football coach still clinging to his glory days? Does Oliver Stone suck? (Yes).If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode.Did we miss your favorite part of ANY GIVEN SUNDAY? What's your favorite football movie? Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 and we might play it on the next pod!

"AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PODCASTER." - HENRY HILLHot off the heels of our Sopranos duology, we're talking its foundational predecessor:  GOODFELLAS? Just what is the Martin Scorsese gangster epic really about? Conrad makes the case and you'll have to tune in to find out!If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode.Did we miss your favorite part of GOODFELLAS? Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 and we might play it on the next pod!

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE THE PODCAST!It's the final part of our Sopranos Call-In extravaganza. In this episode, we have special guests David Futernick (@davidfuternick) and Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen)  call  to make the case for their personal favorite episode, but not before Shwin and Conrad discuss the episode they agree is the best: Whitecaps!! Be warned! There are spoilers!! Episodes discussed are:Season 4, Episode 13: Whitecaps at 1:55Season 5, Episode 12: Long Term Parking (with Kris Pursiainen) at 31:38Season 6, Episode 13 (or S6B, Ep 1): Soprano Home Movies (with David Futernick) at 01:29:54If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get next week's episode, in which we will discuss another mob epic: Scorsese's GOODFELLAS!Did we miss your favorite episode? Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 and tell us about your favorite episode of the Sopranos, or anything else you might want to talk about and we might play it on the next pod!

IF ONE PODCAST DOESN'T KILL HIM... THE OTHER PODCAST WILL!It's Part 1 of our Sopranos Call-In extravaganza. In this episode, we have special guests Jonathan Macri, Adam Feeney, and Jody Kava each call in to discuss their personal favorite episode and what really makes Tony Soprano tick. Be warned! We discuss everything and everything, no holds barred, so there will be spoilers if you haven't watched the show yet. And if you haven't, go and do that!! Why aren't you doing that?! Go now!!!Episodes discussed are:Season 1, Episode 5: College (with Adam Feeney) at 3:57Season 2, Episode 13: Funhouse (with Jody Kava) at 34:00Season 3, Episode 12: Amour Fou (with Jonathan Macri) at 01:01:14If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it (5 stars please), and click the subscribe button to get Part 2 of this series, where we will have more illustrious guests discussing their personal favorite episodes, spanning seasons 4-6 of the show!  Did we miss your favorite episode? Leave us a voicemail at (818) 538-4966 and tell us about your favorite episode of the Sopranos, or anything else you might want to talk about and we might play it on the next pod!

Join Conrad, Shwin and special guests Simon Schiller and Dylan Visvikis as they break down their favorite films of the year. We laughed! We cried! We turned into rocks and bowed to the Everything Bagel.Leave us a message with your takes, cases or just with general feedback at (818) 538-4966, and we may play it on the air!Below is a list of films discussed, and where to currently (legally) stream them:Top Gun: Maverick (available for VOD rental)Everything, Everywhere All At Once (Showtime)The Batman (HBO Max)Triangle of Sadness (available for VOD rental)RRR (Netflix)TÁR (available for [expensive] VOD rental, still playing in select theaters)The Fabelmans  (available for [expensive] VOD rental, still playing in theaters)The Worst Person In The World (Hulu)All Quiet On The Western Front (Netflix)

IT STARTED LIKE ANY OTHER PODCAST.In the conclusion of our Michael Mann triptych, we consider perhaps his most fun film (?!) -- the 2004 Tom Cruise vehicle COLLATERAL!Topics include: 1) How does this movie compare to other great hitman movies? 2) A consideration of what-ifs such as Adam Sandler in the Jamie Foxx role;  3) Mark Ruffalo's "arc" in this film, and great stunt casting moments from other movies, such as Matt Damon in INTERSTELLAR and John Krasinski in DR. STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.Leave us a message with your takes, cases or just with general feedback at (818) 538-4966, and we may play it on the air!

THE PODCAST IS THE JUICE!!!This week we continue our ongoing Michael Mann series, analyzing his LA bank robber masterpiece, HEAT! Hot off our examination of his first film, we talk about the ways Mann learned from the failures and successes of THIEF (and the ways he repeated certain successes and failures) for this much more ambitious second effort in the crime thriller genre. Topics include 1) where does this rank in the pantheon of great heist films? 2) why can't Mann write  female characters well?? 3) Did Mann miss his window to team up prime Robert De Niro and prime Al Pacino?If you want to call us with your takes, cases or just with general feedback, leave us a message at (818) 538-4966. We want to hear from you!... And stay tuned next week for the conclusion of our Michael Mann series when we take a joy ride with Tom Cruise's salt-and-pepper sociopath in 2007's COLLATERAL!!

TONIGHT OUR PODCAST PAY IS $410,000 ... TAX FREE!! Patrick McKeown joins the podcast again for the first part of our Michael Mann trilogy: this week, we're talking the 1981 crime thriller THIEF! Starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, and a young Jim Belushi, THIEF is the crime thriller that started it all for Mann. Topics include: 1) Our favorite "One Last Job" movies; 2) Is Michael Mann a union guy?; 3) Do the things you own end up owning you? If you want to call us with your takes, cases or just with general feedback, leave us a message at (818) 538-4966. We want to hear from you!... And stay tuned next week for Part 2 of our Michael Mann series when we tackle the DeNiro / Pacino two-hander, HEAT!!

THEIR DEADLY MISSION: TO POD ABOUT THE FORBIDDEN ISLAND OF HAN! Be like water, everyone.  In this pod, Conrad is joined by special guest Warren Lam, director of THE MASTER OF INFLUENCE WITH SI-FU BRUCE LEE, to celebrate Bruce Lee's legacy by discussing his final film, ENTER THE DRAGON!!  Discussion topics include 1) what does it mean to "fight without fighting?" 2) Conrad's undying love for Jackie Chan, Michael Jordan and John Mayer; 3) An examination of the methodology of the AFI Top 100 list; 4) A mutual love fest for the films of Wong Kar-wai. If you want to call us with your takes, cases or just with general feedback, leave us a message at (818) 538-4966. We want to hear from you!And please check out THE MASTER OF INFLUENCE WITH SI-FU BRUCE LEE at the link below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nodRIBmbWDA&t=13s

A PODCAST OF BLOOD, GUTS AND TEARS THAT WILL LEAVE AN INDELIBLE MARK ON YOUR SOUL! This week, Conrad and Shwin tackle the grisly 2022 German-language Netflix film, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, adapted by Edward Berger from the 1928 novel  by Erich Maria Remarque, Im Westen nichts Neues. Topics include: 1) The messages of this film and how it differs from the novel; 2) Our favorite war movies including Steven Spielberg's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, Jean Renoir's THE GRAND ILLUSION, Michael Cimino's DEER HUNTER, and whether or not Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS should be considered a "war movie"; 3) How the technological developments in how wars are fought influence the films that are made about war. If you want to call us with your takes, cases or just with general feedback, leave us a message at (818) 538-4966. We want to hear from you!

FREE YOUR POD. It's time to talk about the 1999 action/sci fi classic, The Matrix, directed by the Wachowski sisters and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss! Conrad and Shwin begin by discussing the trans themes embedded in the Matrix, and go on to discuss everything from how the film relates to Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows to Leonardo DiCaprio's boneheaded decisions not to be in this film or Boogie Nights. Other topics include: 1) a brief admiration society for the films of John Woo and Chow Yun Fat; 2) Conrad outing himself as not knowing a single thing about the John Wick franchise; 3) Other casting "What Ifs" including Val Kilmer as Morpheus and Sandra Bullock as Trinity. Also, our Gen Z friends catch random strays. Sorry Kris! If you want to call us with your takes, cases or just with general feedback, leave us a message at (818) 538-4966. We want to hear from you!