Sean Baker's latest film stars Mikey Madison as a street-smart sex worker who falls for and marries the son of a Russian oligarch much to the chagrin of the son's family. Chaos ensues! ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 -Introduction 0:45 - James explains the Cannes Palme d’Or Award 11:36 - Tip of the hat to “Pretty Woman” 12:47 - “Anora” subverts archetypes 16: 15 - Mikey Madison 20:54 - Final Score for “Anora”

Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley star in this satirical horror story of a fading Hollywood diva who makes a Faustian pact to restore her youth with tragic consequences. ** DEEP DIVE MOVIE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS **  0:00 -Introduction 1:56 - James makes Steve go see "The Substance" 5:41 - Creativity goes far beyond the body horror 9:30 - The Faustian Bargain 11:00 - The sound engineering in "The Substance" 19:40 - Demi Moore 28:33 - Final score for “The Substance”

With the release of the long-awaited sequel, Steve & James decide to jump ahead in their Every Best Picture series to unpack the "swords & sandals" Oscar winner "Gladiator" ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **  0:00 -Introduction 2:10 - Early CGI in "Gladiator" 3:40 - Russell Crowe 8:13 - Joaquin Phoenix 12:46 - Oliver Reed 15:00 - Djimon Hounsou 17:10 - Watching “Gladiator” through the lens of current American politics 19:35 - "Gladiator" at the 73rd Academy...

Sara Greenfield, host of the "Talk Classic To Me" podcast joins James & Steve as they unpack their mutual love and affection for the 1955 Best Picture, "Marty" More on Sara can be found here:https://www.sara-greenfield.com/talk-... Check out the "Talk Classic To Me" podcast on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0q74OKC... ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 -Introduction 3:59 - Intro with Sara Greenfield 6:30 -...

We kick off our 2024 Halloween "SPOOKtacular" series with Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic "Psycho" ** DEEP DIVE MOVIE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS **  0:00 -Introduction 0:49 - Steve had NEVER seen “Psycho” 6:15 - Anthony Perkins 11:37 - The real life murder “Psycho” was inspired by 15:57 - Too much “mansplaining”? 24:20 - “Psycho” and it’s relation to “Spellbound”

Producer, writer and festival impresario Mike Hostench joins us from Madrid as we unpack the 1954 Marlon Brando classic "On the Waterfront" 0:00 - Introduction 1:10 - Getting to know our guest Mike Hostench 4:30 - Why Mike chose “On the Waterfront” to review with us 6:20 - On the Waterfront’s Christian imagery 7:50 - Mike explains why he considers the film “noir” 16:20 - Karl Malden 20:32 - Leonard Bernstein’s score 22:54 - Elia Kazan 43:21 - "On the Waterfront" at the Academy Awards

Steve & James unpack not only the new Alien: Romulus but all this in the long history of the Alien franchise. We get pretty passionate about these films, come join us in on the discussion ** DEEP DIVE MOVIE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS ** 0:00 - Introduction 0:40 - Alien: Romulus was supposed to go direct to streaming 4:26 - Best addition to the franchise since Aliens 6:30 - Alien: Romulus tips its hat to every Alien film 9:10 - Why James doesn’t like re-staging classic lines and...

Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman return to their iconic characters and team up not only to stop evil but to create the fanboy film of the year! ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 - Introduction 2:02 - A Marvel Disneyland ride “plot” 3:10 - The entire film feels like a “post-credits” sequence 5:10 - The problems with “the Multi-verse” 13:40 - Deadpool & Wolverine’s camaraderie carry the film 17:55 - Our favourite cameos in the film 23:20 - Easter Eggs galore 27:59...

madmax #furiosa  Anya Taylor-Joy assumes the role of Furiosa, a young girl stolen from her family in George Miller's post-apocalyptic Australia. Steve & James not only unpack the new film, but also do a deep dive into the Mad Max franchise as a whole. ** DEEP DIVE MOVIE REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS ** 0:00 -Introduction 0:26 - Our history with the Mad Max franchise 2:36 - “One of the best prequels I’ve ever seen” 4:00 - Chris Hemsworth 6:23 - Furiosa grounds the film in Australia again 9:54 -...

The long-awaited follow-up sequel to Denis Villeneuve' s take on Frank Herbert's "Dune". We look at whether or not this sprawling epic of geo-political intrigue on the faraway planet Arrakis (Dune) lives up to the hype ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 - Introduction 2:00 - Dune Part 1 vs Part 2 9:26 - Are the Harkonens “twisted” enough?  13:50 - The price paid for focusing on the love story 17:00 - The role of religion in Part 2 20:28 - Humour borders on Monty...

thezoneofinterest #holocausteducation Jonathan Glazer wrote and directed the disturbingly brilliant film of a Nazi family building an idyllic home life while the father commands the Auschwitz extermination camp on the other side of the wall. ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 - Introduction 2:29 - Unlike any previous holocaust film 5:37 - "The Zone" is so relevant for today 13:04 - The Zone of Interest reminds us we must never forget 15:53 - Sound is such a crucial ingredient...

James & Steve recap the year 2023 with their lists of the Top 10 best movies of the last 12 months. What did they miss? Where are they wrong? Drop a comment in the section below ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 - Introduction 1:34 - 2023 Honorary Mentions 9:06 - Best Film #10 15:05 - Best Film #9 26:00 - Best Film #8 36:10 - Best Film#7 41:07 - Best Film 6 45:10 - Best Film #5 49:21 - Best Film#4 1:02:48 - Best Film #3 1:12:61 - Best...

Set in the immediate aftermath of World War 2, a devastated Japan has to rally to defend itself yet again from the legendary Godzilla ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers ** 0:00 - Introduction 2:12 - Why Godzilla never gets old 3:00 - Godzilla is Japan’s “Elvis” 4:20 - Monster Week 7:56 - The wartime context of "Godzilla Minus One" 16:20 - This was a cool version of Godzilla 19:35 - The Godzilla “eras” 22:22 - Godzilla Minus One final score

Timothee Chalamet stars as renowned chocolate maker Willy Wonka in Paul King's origin story musical "Wonka". James & Steve give a full spoiler review and weigh in on whether the new film can stand tall alongside the 1971 classic "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **  0:00 - Introduction 1:45 - Willy Wonka origin story 2:05 - “Pure Imagination” 4:30 - Fans respond positively when the source material is honored 9:42 - Hugh Grant’s...

David Tennant's return to the TARDIS for three special episodes marking Doctor Who's 60th anniversary has been both hailed as breathing fresh wind into the franchise as well as derided by critics who see changes brought by showrunner Russell T. Davies as being too "woke". James & Steve weigh in as they attempt to balance these varying perspectives and leave with the hope that the future of the Doctor remains bright. ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **  0:00 - Introduction ...

Angel Studios ventures into sci-fi territory with a unique reimagining of the Book of Job. Does this "faith based" story of a man who loses everything and trying to get back to the woman he loves hit home for its target Evangelical Christian audience? Steve & James weigh in. ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **  0:00 - Introduction 0:45 - How well does The Shift “reimagine” the Book of Job 3:14 - The Shift synopsis 4:34 - The “faith-based multiverse” 8:16 - Are Timothy...

Based on a true story, Jim Caviezel stars as Tim Ballard, a Homeland Security Officer who, upon discovering a child slavery ring in South America, gathers a group of like-minded allies to see the cabal brought down. The Evangelical community in America came on in force for this film bringing the gross box office to a quarter of a BILLION $$$$ defying the expectations of a cynical Hollywood...but is it really any good?  Steve & James weigh in on this polarizing film. ** Deep Dive Movie...

Steve & James unpack the latest Mike Flanagan Netflix horror series "The Fall of the House of Usher". **. Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **    0:00 - Introduction 1:45 - Edgar Allan Poe 4:15 - Is Mike Flanagan the new Stephen King? 8:30 - The casting is GOLD 17:42 - The subtext: choice & consequence 23:15 - Mark Hamill is a brilliant Arthur Pym 28:35 - Rating Mike Flangan’s five Netflix series 34:56 - Final score for “The Fall of the House of Usher”

James liked Gareth Edwards new sci-fi film "The Creator" but Steve found it lacking. Find out why in this episode of ScreenShots. We then move on to Mike Flanagan's new Netflix Halloween release "The Fall of the House of Usher". Along the way we discuss the works of Edgar Allan Poe and launch a new book club! ** Deep Dive does Spoilers**  0:00 - Introduction 0:43 - Why James doesn't watch many TV shows 3:41 - The Creator 37:13 - The Fall of the House of Usher 1:14:19 - Steve & James...

James gets a Masterclass lesson in all things Star Trek as fellow film critic and Star Trek aficionado Liz Kerr joins Steve as they swoon over the recent season of Strange New Worlds. We then move on to discuss the death of famed director William Friedkin, the 50th Anniversary of his iconic film "The Exorcist" and why Steve's Christian Evangelical background meant he never actually saw the film until James made him this week 😂.  Along the way, we chat about some of the TV we've been...

Steve & James look at NPR's recent critique of "Oppenheimer" which highlighted its overly white cast and lack of gay characters. How should today's films be representative and diverse, yet not be held hostage to unrealistic stories or relationships? We look at some recent summer films and where they succeed or miss on ways forward.  ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **

The boys return from a summer hiatus and pour a couple drinks before jumping into a banter on the biggest blockbusters of the season. We unpack the hits (Oppenheimer), the misses (We're looking at you Indy), the insane (Tom Cruise and that train), and of course Pink Patriarchy (Barbie). Along the way James explains why CGI has gotten worse in the last 15 years and Steve discovers his "tribe" in Ireland. So grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us for our Summer Blockbusters 2023 Comeback...

When Steve learns that James has never seen an episode of "Black Mirror", he goes into action to explain to his friend why he must watch Charlie Brooker's dystopian fuelled anthology series stat! Along the way, Steve reviews the recently dropped Series 6 as well as some of his favorite episodes from past seasons. ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews Contain Spoilers **

Director Cheng Er's espionage noir film set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the 1940s about a group of daring Chinese who set up an underground network to undermine the puppet regime. Starring Tony Leung, Wang Yibo, Zhou Xun, and Huang Lei ** Deep Dive Movie Reviews contain spoilers **  3:10 - Complex layers of loyalties & secrets 11:28 - The Hidden Blade’s “long con” 12:55 - Shanghai as a setting 19:45 - Tony Leung 22:19 - Final score for Hidden Blade