Ready For Close-Up contessateresadivincenzo

The movie award season has just been officially ended with the handing out of the Oscars this week and Andy and Sam are discussing the 96th edition of these Academy Awards in their newest episode: Who won and who should have won? What were the biggest suprises and snubs (and Barbie is just one of them!) and what does the field of nominations really tell us about the state of cinema after an unusual year in film that was 2023? Listen in when we discuss our favourites and recommendations, from the blockbusters we refuse to see to the most original and most disturbing films of the year!

To wrap up their year in movies, Andy and Sam are looking back at 2023 as a much welcome return to good blockbuster and popcorn movies. Besides the obvious dominance of the Barbenheimer phenomenon and the shockwaves of the Hollywood strikes, the year did kick into gear again towards the end with some of our favourites hitting cinemas right in time for award season: From biopics to courtroom drama and from highly stylized thrillers to heartwarming musicals, our favourites eventually take us to the central question of the year: Was the plastic doll summer phenomenon a stronger contender of the year than one master director's masterful and harrowing depiction of a key episode in American history? Listen in to find out what we thought - and for some early 2024 highlights that we look forward to!

Finally, after months of suspense, Andy and Sam are back with a blockbuster episode on - well - a summer of blockbusters cut short by the two Hollywood strikes looming over future releases. What results is a two-edged discussion about the merits of Barbenheimer, the two main attractions this summer, which spoiled some of the profits of two anticipated sequels released weeks earlier, Indy 5 and the latest Mission: Impossible entry, Rogue Nation: Part One. And even though we were happy with most of our summer movie gifts, we discuss why our moviegoer hearts are also on the side of the writers and actors on strike, even if it means uncertain, yet interesting months ahead: What shall be released? 

With the new year just having started, it's mandatory for Andy and Sam to look back and compare our respective Best Movies of 2022 lists. Even though they overlap in parts and divert at times considerably, we agree on one thing in particular: The past year had fewer moments of complete cinematic indulgence, where we felt movies had truly swept us off our feet and lingered with us for days afterwards. Still, there were highlights, strangely enough many of them dealing with islands (The Menu, Glass Onion, Fire Island) and superpowers (The Batman, Wakanda Forever, Everything Everywhere All At Once) but also standout comedies (Bros, The Worst Person in the World), historical drama (Corsage, The Northman) and even horror (Bones and All, Nope)  Join us for a journey up our lists with a brief outlook at what we've missed and what we can't wait to see in 2023!

It's been a long summer travelling between Mexico City and Hollywood for Andy and the most scenic locations of southern Europe for Sam but we're back with a myriad of cinematic impressions, including some fresh theatrical releases: Universal's first mainstream LGBTQ+ romantic comedy Bros and the newest entry into the Marvel Universe, Wakanda Forever, have us both laughing and in tears - and mostly at the intended moments. Our reviews are imbued with gratitude and excitement for well-written and well-judged new releases and our preview is brimming with excitement for some of the highlights coming out this winter: from Avatar to Tar, and from Babylon to Bones and All, we can't wait for theatrical gifts to reveal themselves. Join us for our fall (p)review!

After a quick review of fresh content they have seen over the summer, Andy and Sam talk about recent movie-related exhibitions they have seen: the brand-new Oscar Academy Museum in Los Angeles and the Fellini exhibition at Zurich's Kunsthaus. From these impressions, they discuss what makes an inspiring and worthwhile movie museum and what criteria should be behind the selection and presentation of such exhibits. Besides their favourite movie displays, they also ask whether cinema is increasingly becoming a thing to be shown at museums and if that is necessarily a good or bad omen for movie-making as a whole. Join us to find out!