Episodes
Ok, folks, time to start a new director. This time around, we celebrate Amy Heckerling. To begin this process, we welcome Roxana Hadadi to the show to give us some context. She is a writer for many outlets and recently wrote about Clueless on its 25th Anniversary. On this first episode we talk about feminism, female filmmakers, auteur theory, and UPN (of all things). Please join us for this episode before we dive in to all the movies (coming soon!). Articles discussed can be found...
Published 08/07/20
We are finally back, baby! And we celebrate by watching Michael Bay's best movie, PAIN AND GAIN! Strap in, and get ready to believe in fitness with your out of shape co-hosts. We watch Marky Mark scream about how big and hot he is while we scream with laughter. Oh also, Mike decided to change the show again. Sorry. Follow us on Twitter Look at the pretty pictures on Instagram Donate to the show and get rewards on Patreon! Email us and tell us we're wrong at
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Published 07/31/20
Time to get extreme, baby! In this episode, we look at Michael Bay's best and worst.Let's start with the good news. We begin with THE ROCK, that somehow still holds up. We talk the gravitas of Ed Harris, the cute James Bond references, gay hairdressers (of course), and whether not Nicolas Cage works in an action movie.Then we move to Mike's pain, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT. Will Mike survive this, or does he just shut it down like he did with 6 UNDERGROUND? Join us as we talk nostalgia,...
Published 06/15/20
On our first movie episode on Michael Bay, we attempt to find a simple arc to his career by looking at his first and last film.First, we look at one of the quintessential 90's action movies in BAD BOYS. We talk buddy cops, the cult of personality, and maybe the transfer to the "Old Time Kentucky Hour" as Dave moves to Kentucky.Then, we move to the Netflix mega hit (according to Netflix), 6 UNDERGROUND. We discuss the miscast Ryan Reynolds, how little we care about numbers, and Mike viciously...
Published 06/08/20
Join us as we start a new month with Michael Bay! We bring on Steph Williams to talk all of the mayhem (good and bad) of Michael Bay. We cover many topics, including racism, sexism, big budget action, and...air conditioning? All will be explained over the next hour, we promise!Follow Steph on twitter and keep up with her webcomics! Follow us on TwitterLook at the pretty pictures on InstagramDonate to the show and get rewards on Patreon!Email us and tell us we're wrong at...
Published 06/01/20
Well, we have reached the end of another month! We finish off our watch of Lupino with another noir classic, THE BIGAMIST. But will this have more charm than previous efforts and will Lupino as an actress carry this one over the top? We talk moralizing, chinese food, and executive moods with our last movie of the month. Then we decide on our personal picks. Will we focus on the meanness of THE HITCHHIKER? Or the sexual energy of HARD, FAST, AND BEAUTIFUL? Tune in to find out! Follow us on...
Published 05/29/20
We continue with our Ida Lupino month with her most well-known film, THE HITCH-HIKER. Can your hosts handle the true crime, pure evil of it all? Or is this one just too mean spirited?We talk old movies, action, and Ashley Judd (?) in this episode, so listen in. Follow us on TwitterLook at the pretty pictures on InstagramDonate to the show and get rewards on Patreon!Email us and tell us we're wrong at
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Published 05/23/20
On to our second movie of Lupino month with one that hits close to home. In NEVER FEAR, Lupino tackles the tough topic of Polio, a disease that she struggled with herself.Mike and Dave discuss if this hope filled picture continues Lupino's fantastic start after NOT WANTED, or if this one is a little bit more difficult to take. Mike also, as usual, blames Dave for his choices, but we have a good time anyway! Follow us on TwitterLook at the pretty pictures on InstagramDonate to the show and...
Published 05/15/20
Fresh off getting a great overview from our expert, Mike and Dave dive into Ida Lupino's directorial efforts. We begin with NOT WANTED, a film that she was not credited for, but is undeniably Lupino.We talk female gaze, nerds who are into trains, Sean Penn's dad, and for some reason, the smell of fish on a crowded bus. Do social problems films from the 40's hold up? Listen in as we take a look at the story of an unwed mother who also kidnaps babies? Should be fun! Follow us on TwitterLook at...
Published 05/08/20
Alright, it's time for a new month! To introduce this month, we bring on a real honest to god expert. Julie Grossman, also a teacher and film scholar, recently co-authored a book on Ida Lupino. We discuss Lupino as an auteur, the difficulties of being a female director past and present, and Lupino's courage to focus on social problems pictures.We hope you enjoy this very informative introduction to Ida Lupino. If you like what you hear, you should purchase Julie Grossman's book on the...
Published 05/01/20
Well, sadly, it is time to close out our crowd pleasing month. Rob Reiner has given us a lot of fun, just not near the more recent times... We start with GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, where Reiner gets political, to mixed effect. Will speeches from Alec Baldwin be enough to save the somehow Oscar Winning film in our eyes? Or will this just mark the movie where James Woods became, well, James Woods? Then we move on to THE BUCKET LIST. The irony of this being the last film of our month is not lost...
Published 04/29/20
In our latest episode on Rob Reiner, we finally come to our Aaron Sorkin doubleheader. First, we talk courtroom drama, Tom Cruise's subpar baseball swing, and star power. In A FEW GOOD MEN, we also get to see Jack Nicholson bite into a huge role, but we talk about what's important, like Kevin Pollak and JT Walsh. Next, we move on to the beginnings of The West Wing, in THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. It's a romcom, so Mike of course loves it. Find out if his co-host agrees, or if we are better off...
Published 04/22/20
Now we are really in the thick of Rob Reiner's incredible streak of incredible movies. We begin with (at the least) one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. Can Mike get over his hatred of Billy Crystal's hair to enjoy the best cinematic speech ever? Then, we move to MISERY, as Reiner moves on to much gorier territory. We talk screenplays, pulling punches, and making improvements to Stephen King! This episode also features our Rob Reiner expert, Jairo of The...
Published 04/15/20
Finally, we get to the good stuff! Two accepted classics on this episode, but will both of the hosts agree? We start with STAND BY ME, the rare great movie with almost all child actors. Will Mike ease up on The Brat Pack? Will Dave ever stop talking about River Phoenix? Probably not, but we both agree that pie eating contests are a good thing. Then we move to THE PRINCESS BRIDE, the lone Criterion directed by Rob Reiner. A highlight of this is Mike detailing his early dating experience, and...
Published 04/08/20
In this episode, we talk about the populist pick, Rob Reiner! We start with THIS IS SPINAL TAP, the original mockumentary and rockumentary and decide whether it work as a group of bits or as an actual movie. Does the original Reiner movie actually work or is just nostalgia?Then we move on to a combination sex comedy/romcom in THE SURE THING! Does John Cusack always have it or does this one feel super dated? Listen in to find out! This episode also features our Rob Reineer expert, Jairo of...
Published 04/02/20
Ok, we made it to the end! Here are our two last movies that were directed by actors! First, we take on A QUIET PLACE. Originally, this was going to time out for when the sequel came out, but yknow, the world is on fire, so STAY HOME! Andrew and I have a disagreement, one of us hates pregnancy and the other one has empathy. Who knew?Then we move on to the critical darling BOOKSMART. If you are online at all, you have been likely told to watch it already. And we join that chorus, even if it...
Published 03/25/20
Now, we come to the episode of extremes for guest host, Andrew and real host, Dave. First, we tackle a true masterpiece in GONE BABY GONE. Somehow, Ben Affleck wrangled a stellar performance out of his own brother. With that, he managed to save his own career and truly start Casey's. But does it hold up? Or is it just another first film from a marginally talented actor? *Big, extended sigh* Now, we come to Casey Affleck's I'M STILL HERE. Will one of our hosts find meaning in the...
Published 03/18/20
Andrew and I are back again, this time talking about former child stars that became directors! First, we look at the star of E.T. and FIRESTARTER, Drew Barrymore. With her one and only directorial effort, we have the coming of age story of WHIP IT. Will this reach Andrew's sports hating nerd heart? Will Dave get over his hatred of JUNO? Hmmmm Next, we dive into the work of TAXI DRIVER star Jodie Foster. Although neither Dave nor Andrew are big fans of her other directorial work, maybe this...
Published 03/12/20
This week, we continue our look at actors turned directors with one of the most famous romantic couples in Hollywood history. We open with Anjelica Huston's award winning film, BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA. The subject matter makes at least one of our host's extremely uncomfortable and we discuss how the director might be responsible for that. Then, we move to a colossal failure of a sequel in Jack Nicholson's THE TWO JAKES. Can we find something good about the understandably reviled sequel to...
Published 03/04/20
Well, we're trying something new this month. We invite Andrew on to talk about one of his weird passions, actors who become directors. Saddle up for this episode featuring the stars of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (sorry, not sorry). Check out the underseen RACHEL, RACHEL directed by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward. We talk about the surprisingly progressive film (for any time) before moving on to one of Andrew's favorites, ORDINARY PEOPLE, directed by Robert Redford! Follow...
Published 03/01/20
Sadly, we have reached the end of Kusama month. On this episode, we take a look at her most recent film, DESTROYER, starring Nicole Kidman. Will this dirty, neo-noir, Bigelow inspired flick make its way onto the top of our lists?Speaking of those, at the end of this episode, we pick our favorites, bests, and masterpieces of Kusama. Is it the indie classic, GIRLFIGHT? The terrifying social anxiety of THE INVITATION? Or something else entirely? Find out! Our expert this month is critic and...
Published 02/26/20
Back for more Kusama with one of her most critically respected films, THE INVITATION! Will Dave do a 180 on this now that he has seen more of her movies? Would you ever invite either of us to a dinner party? Listen in and make your choice! Our expert this month is critic and filmmaker, Scout Tafoya!Check them out on Twitter and Patreon! Follow us on TwitterLook at the pretty pictures on InstagramDonate to the show and get rewards on Patreon!Email us and tell us we're wrong at...
Published 02/19/20
We are back for a misunderstood movie that has finally been reappraised, JENNIFER'S BODY! One of our hosts, all of a sudden, becomes anti-gay? Weird. But tune in to find out if it's better on rewatch or if you've never seen it! Horror? Satire? Just a couple pretty faces? Again, listen! Our expert this month is critic and filmmaker, Scout Tafoya!Check them out on Twitter and Patreon! Follow us on TwitterLook at the pretty pictures on InstagramDonate to the show and get rewards on...
Published 02/12/20
Ok, we are back for more! Maybe the biggest challenge in Kusama's filmography, AEON FLUX. How can you talk about a movie that was taken away from a director on a director's podcast? Well, we give it our best shot. Weirdly, we also talk about The Matrix a bunch, so tune in to find out why! Our expert this month is critic and filmmaker, Scout Tafoya!Check them out on Twitter and Patreon! Follow us on TwitterLook at the pretty pictures on InstagramDonate to the show and get rewards on...
Published 02/05/20
We're back for a new month! We are back to Mike's choice, and you know what that means? A directors with a small filmography! That's right, we are taking a look at Karyn Kusama. We talk about our (lack of) experience with Kusama's work and then dive into her debut film, GIRLFIGHT! We also talk a lot about Lost, for some reason, but we eventually to the important stuff and talk about the movie. Our expert this month is critic and filmmaker, Scout Tafoya!Check them out on Twitter and...
Published 02/01/20