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Alex, and Max take you on a journey through film with this discussion podcast about movies.
272 Episodes
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Send us a text Five conversations. One weekend that proves short films can carry more than most features. We sat down at the Gig Harbor Film Festival with filmmakers who turned everyday pressure into unforgettable cinema—starting with a travel-phobe who literally becomes a shoe. That hybrid live action-animation pivot wasn’t a gimmick; it was a smart, budget-aware way to visualize dissociation, sharpened by a one-man animation army and razor-sharp improv that had audiences grinning at micro-e...
Send us a text The landscape of Hollywood is shifting before our eyes. From massive studio consolidations to the passing of icons, Alex and Max dive deep into what these changes mean for the future of cinema. Following a month-long hiatus, the hosts catch up on industry news that could fundamentally alter how movies reach audiences. Skydance's acquisition of Paramount and potential bid for Warner Brothers raises urgent questions: What happens when streaming giants own historic studios? Will ...
Send us a text The magic of filmmaking often lies in that sweet spot between meticulous planning and creative spontaneity. Andrew "Ducky" Dutkiewiczz embodies this balance as he joins us to discuss his upcoming short film "Call This Land Mother" – a story about an Irish immigrant recalling his first summer in America and the mysterious girl who can speak to his dead mother. Ducky pulls back the curtain on his crowdfunding journey through Seed&Spark, revealing both the struggles and unexp...
Send us a text When 17 children from the same third-grade classroom vanish into the night, a small suburban town becomes the epicenter of a nightmare that defies explanation. "Weapons," Zach Crager's sophomore directorial effort following his breakout hit "Barbarian," delivers a masterclass in atmospheric horror that will leave you checking the locks on your doors. The film's brilliance lies in its unconventional structure, following multiple characters whose lives have been upended by the m...
Send us a text What defines the greatest films of our still-young century? When The New York Times published their reader-selected Top 100 Films of the 21st Century, we couldn't resist diving into this cultural touchstone that had over 200,000 cinephiles weighing in on what matters most in modern cinema. With Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" claiming the top spot and Christopher Nolan dominating with five entries (including both "Interstellar" and "The Dark Knight" in the top 10), the list reveals ...
Send us a text The theatrical landscape of 2025 tells a fascinating story through its box office patterns and creative trends. Animation continues its unstoppable theatrical dominance across multiple studios, while long-running franchises like Mission Impossible and Jurassic World show unmistakable signs of fatigue. Has the time come to put these decades-old properties to rest? Our midyear film roundup reveals a striking preference for original storytelling over franchise continuation. From ...
Send us a text Sheriff Joe Cross patrols a small New Mexico town where tension simmers beneath the surface. It's May 2020, and the pandemic has unleashed a torrent of fear, conspiracy, and mistrust that threatens to tear Eddington apart. When we meet Joaquin Phoenix's Sheriff Cross, he's a man grasping for control – of his town, his marriage to Emma Stone's increasingly distant wife, and the looming threat of COVID-19. His power struggle with Pedro Pascal's Mayor Ted Garcia initially plays a...
Send us a text Dinosaurs and box office numbers find a way, even when creativity doesn't. The latest Jurassic installment stomped through theaters with a staggering $318 million global opening, proving once again that this prehistoric franchise remains Hollywood's gold standard for bankable intellectual property. Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali headline Jurassic World Rebirth, bringing star power to a franchise that's circling the creative drain yet continues to draw massive audiences....
Send us a text When the throttle opens and Led Zeppelin's iconic riffs fill the theater, you know you're in for something special. F1 roars onto the screen with the perfect fusion of high-stakes racing drama and human storytelling that makes your heart race as fast as the cars themselves. Brad Pitt delivers one of his most compelling performances in years as Sonny Hayes, a former champion dragging the weight of past failures behind him like a parachute. What makes this performance remarkable...
Send us a text Father's Day 2025 finds our podcast fathers contemplating the curious state of cinema, where animation remakes break box office records while prestige directors struggle with creative stagnation. Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" becomes the focal point for a larger conversation about directorial signature styles calcifying into self-parody. Even devoted Anderson defenders are feeling fatigue as his meticulously composed dollhouses and deadpan performances edge closer to ...
Send us a text May 2025 marked a historic turning point for theatrical exhibition with box office numbers approaching $1 billion on just 128 releases – half the number required to hit that mark pre-pandemic. This stunning 75% year-over-year growth signals what could be the full recovery of theatrical moviegoing after years of uncertainty. Behind this remarkable surge were five films crossing the $100 million domestic threshold, led by Disney's surprisingly dominant "Lilo and Stitch" ($260M d...
Send us a text In a world teetering on the brink of nuclear annihilation, Ethan Hunt faces his most formidable adversary yet—not a terrorist mastermind or rogue agent, but an all-seeing artificial intelligence known simply as "the Entity." Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning delivers the breathtaking stunts and globe-trotting adventure fans have come to expect, while simultaneously offering a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on humanity's place in an increasingly technological world. T...
Send us a text When Final Destination: Bloodlines shattered box office expectations with a $100 million worldwide haul, it proved that even after 14 years, Death's design still captivates audiences hungry for creative kills and nail-biting tension. But how does this sixth installment stack up against its predecessors? Join hosts Alex, Max, and Erica as they journey through the entire Final Destination franchise, ranking all six films and dissecting what makes these movies uniquely addictive ...
Send us a text The conversation shifts to Marvel's surprising box office hit "Thunderbolts," which has topped charts for two consecutive weekends. We break down why this particular entry has connected with audiences when recent Marvel offerings have faltered – examining how its grounded approach, practical location shooting, and thoughtful mental health themes provide a refreshing alternative to CGI-heavy spectacles. Florence Pugh's star power and David Harbour's charismatic performance contr...
Send us a text Ever wondered what happens when film critics turn their analytical gaze toward television? In this captivating episode, Alex and Erica connect virtually to dissect the most compelling shows dominating our screens right now, revealing why these series have become cultural touchpoints worthy of deep exploration. The conversation opens with a fascinating look at HBO's "The White Lotus" and how it revitalized appointment television viewing. They explore the double-edged sword of s...
Send us a text A stunning achievement in genre filmmaking, "Sinners" transports us to the Mississippi Delta of 1932 where twin brothers find themselves caught between supernatural evil and the harsh realities of Jim Crow America. Ryan Coogler's masterful direction elevates what could have been a standard vampire tale into something truly extraordinary – a rich, textured exploration of brotherhood, community, and survival against impossible odds. Michael B. Jordan delivers what might be his c...
Send us a text In the chaos of combat, what truly matters isn't the mission, but the harrowing moments that forever bind soldiers together. "Warfare," the latest from filmmaking duo Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, strips away conventional war movie tropes to deliver something far more visceral and authentic. Based on Mendoza's actual experiences as a Navy SEAL during the Iraq War, this relentlessly tense 96-minute thriller drops viewers into the middle of a mission gone catastrophically wrong....
Send us a text Jack Black sits at the rare intersection of comedy genius, musical talent, and heartfelt authenticity that few performers ever discover. His journey from bit player in 90s action films to beloved family-friendly superstar reveals one of Hollywood's most unexpected and treasured success stories. What makes Black's career so remarkable is his chameleon-like ability to excel across genres while remaining unmistakably himself. When examining his Hall of Fame filmography—from the r...
Send us a text What are the movies we love despite knowing they're not cinematic masterpieces? When the critics pan a film that you can't stop rewatching, should you feel guilty about your enjoyment? In this deeply personal episode, we reunite as a full trio to dive into the concept of "guilty pleasures" in film - those movies we return to time and again despite (or perhaps because of) their perceived flaws. As Erica returns from her travels, she brings with her this question that reveals mo...
Send us a text Every March, Hollywood seems to enter a strange twilight zone – award season is over, summer blockbusters remain months away, and the theatrical landscape becomes a curious mix of studio castoffs and hidden gems. This year proves particularly fascinating as we've witnessed an unprecedented $320 million Netflix disaster alongside genuinely brilliant filmmaking that's struggling to find its audience. The stark contrast between something like The Electric State – a bloated, CGI-h...
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