Have You Ever Seen (Ryan Ellis & Bev Ellis)

Grease is the 110th effort in the Next 100 Project series and this was not an easy movie to review. As popular as it was and still is, the Travolta/OLJ singathon’s story and characters can’t keep up with the uber-famous songs. But, man, those songs are beloved for a reason. For great java, you just gotta hit up SparkplugCoffee.com and don’t hesitate to save 10% on your first order by using the promo code “Top100Project”.

Bev is not a fan of biopics or of Sean Penn, but even she knows that Gus Van Sant's Milk is a great example of both. Harvey Milk was a passionate, charming, hard-working activist who was gunned down by Dan White just as he was starting his political career, but there WAS some whitewashing of his personal life in this. Still, Penn is so authentic. The movie, which mixes in plenty of real footage, very much is too. Okay, the leading actors aren't gay, but at least the director, writer, producers and many of the background actors are. Maybe that's why---even though it's about politics as much as it is about homosexuality---the film is as lusty as it is. The supporting cast (from Franco to Hirsch to Brolin to Pill to Garber) do admirable work, although Diego Luna has to play an impossibly childish character...and doesn't do it very well. Not even that slip-up can ruin one of the better based-on-a-true-story excursions of the past few decades. So join us in the Castro and give 'em hope as we yap for over an hour in this 526th edition of Have You Ever Seen.

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The Newman/Taylor love (well, hate) fest is the order of the day in the Next 121 Project. The Mississippi-living Pollitt family fuss and feud for the entire movie, but Newman’s booze-chugging Brick is their linchpin…for some reason. Burl Ives as Big Daddy actually out-acts his mendacious co-stars, but the script (or maybe it’s Tennessee Williams' play) lets them all down…in Bev’s eyes, at least. Is Brick’s critical character change from play to screen (see: homosexual/not homosexual) an unrecoverable mistake? It sure didn’t help. Only one single way to find out! And just before you stroke that play button, stumble over to Sparkplug Coffee for an order of beans. Use the discount code “top100project” and you’ll receive 10% off.

We put the finishing touches on this year’s “Scary Movie Month” with a gab about a dynamite zombie flick from South Korea. Train To Busan is just as much an action movie as it is a horror movie. Director Yeon Sang-ho keeps up the intense pace by having his frenzied film play out almost in real time. He also hits most of the usual zombie beats by layering in class issues and the fear of your fellow fellows. In fact, the “they might be infected, so stay away from them” plotline hits awfully close to home the past year and a half. So wrap your wrists in tape and punch your way through a zombie horde with the 413th Ellises’ Analysis ringing through your ears. Or through your braaaaaains…braaaaaains…

Well, Actually: One Cut Of The Dead is Japanese and we highly recommended seeking it out.

Staying away from the running dead would be a lot easier if you caffeined up, so we strongly suggest that you buy loads of Sparkplug Coffee. They’ll even give you a 20% discount if you drop our promo code (“top100project”) into the appropriate link.

Twitter, huh? Yes. Find us @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also reviews sporty pics over on Scoring At The Movies

We’ll give you 8 reasons to listen to the 373rd Ellises’ Analysis. 1) We talked about whether or not this film needed to be shot in 70mm. 2) We got into how auteurs like the one who made this movie are using their clout to push back against a changing industry. 3) We spent a bunch of time discussing Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking tactics and how he makes you enjoy savage violence. 4) We also talked about the goods, the bads and the uglies involved in working with QT. 5) We debated if he really is going to retire from directing soon. 6) We eventually answered the question of whether Daisy is bluffing about having back-up gang members. 7) We praised the bleak ending that somehow manages to end on a measure of hope too. 8) Finally, we praised the performances and the production design while not loving the indulgences of the verrrry long Hateful Eight. Okay, that was 8 reasons. Share the contents of your Lincoln Letter with an enemy-turned-friend as we speak about The Hateful Eight for a good long while.

Well, Actually: Sally Menke DID edit Reservoir Dogs. Also, an interesting note about Ennio Morricone’s Oscar history is that all 6 of his nominations were for movies directed by different people…and, surprisingly, not one of them is for a Sergio Leone film.

Nobody better spike that there Sparkplug Coffee with dat poison. Our sponsor don’t deserve that type o’ treatment. Anyway, they’ll throw a 20% discount at you if you use the promo code “top100project”.

For some tweeting, find us @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan looks back at aged sports films over on Scoring At The Movies

Oscar Month takes us back to the long-ago past as we talk about the genial one that took home 7 Oscars 8 decades ago. But Going My Way didn't make it easy on us. This fluffery somehow one-upped the Double Indemnity at those Academy Awards. Bing Crosby even won a trophy for his role as a helpful priest, despite having a real-life personality that contrasted with his nice-guy image. Maybe he was a better actor than we thought. In any case, we can understand how a musical comedy would be welcomed during the height of WWII, but is this the epitome of filmmaking in ANY year? Well, we had some fun with Leo McCarey's flick, including speculating about who set the church on fire. We also poked the ribs of the Irish and the Catholic Church. So swing on a star with episode #577 of Have You Ever Seen as a songwriter bonds with wayward youths, lost loves and aging priests.

To Be Clear: the James Brown "football guy" who's referred to is not even the legendary Cleveland running back (that's Jim Brown, of course), but the host who used to be a football broadcaster with Fox and seems to be working for CBS now.

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Want to feed us back? Email is good (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Twi-X is too (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev is on Threads with that same handle. Also, keep up with every show we post on YouTube (@hyesellis). Rate and review us there and on your podcast app. Subscribe, like, comment, share, etc.

Halloween Week = extra episodes! Ryan talks by himself here about the 1979 Amityville Horror...and a little about the other Amityville flicks too...all of which are based on a horrific real-life tragedy that led to a (possibly made-up) haunting in that same house. James Brolin and Margot Kidder play newlyweds who move into a place on Long Island with her 3 kids, then it starts messing with all of them...especially Brolin's mind. Chairs rock on their own, furious flies fill a room, fathers get mad and walls bleed...but will the Lutzes listen to what Rod Steiger heard early on and "GET OUT"? In any case, for God's sake, download the 620th edition of Have You Ever Seen as Stuart Rosenberg's fairly-effective horror show is discussed in fairly humorous detail.

If you can't sleep in your new house, you might as well start pounding coffee and get some wood-splittin' done. We are sponsored by Sparkplug Coffee and they offer fractured families (and everyone else) a 20% discount just by putting our "HYES" promo code into the right place. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Share your own thoughts about the Amityville franchise. We will see what you say on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and Bev can be reached on Threads under that same @. Or email us at "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". Also, look for our episodes on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment in the space provided, hit the "like" button and subscribe, so you'll see all that we post on the 'Tube. Also, write up a pleasant review and give us a rating on your podcast app.

If Harrison Ford isn't the most-successful movie star in history, then he's at least on the shortest of shortlists. And he's almost a silent-film actor in The Fugitive, while Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones as his dogged antagonist is positively verbose. Ford gets to play smart, determined and driven to find the one-armed man who killed his wife, despite having a terrible lawyer representing him. Jones is the federal marshal out to find him, who's likewise smart, determined and driven. It's such a credit to The Fugitive that a woman gets murdered, there's medical fraud, friends betray friends and yet Andrew Davis still finds so many ways to make this such a fun film. Let the 528th episode of Have You Ever Seen use not just one arm, but two to unscramble the mystery as we realize it's time to stop running.

Well, Actually: Ryan was thinking of Joseph Kosala as the real Chicago cop who plays Ron Dean's detective partner. Also, Dean IS a Chicagoan, but Richard Riehle (the guard on the prison bus) is not. Also also, L Scott Caldwell did NOT return in US Marshals as part of TLJ's team. And finally, the editor who didn't get his entire name mentioned in full is Dov Hoenig.

Sparkplug Coffee sponsors Have You Ever Seen. They offer a 20% discount to anyone who uses our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Ever since the start of 2023, all our podcasts go up on YouTube Your destination is @hyesellis. You can like, subscribe and comment there, of course, but you can also comment by talking to us via email (haveyoueverseeenpodcast@gmail.com). We also love to hear what you think on the Twitter thing (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis).

Danny Boyle insists this isn't a zombie movie, but his intense 28 Days Later influenced that popular genre and was at the forefront of digital filmmaking. The director settled for a look that was ugly as dirt to get incredible shots they never could have had with classic film cameras, which allowed for that nightmarish opening of Cillian Murphy walking alone through a deserted London. The first half of the picture is brilliant and Brendan Gleeson brings tons of heart to the middle part, but the last section with the military is disjointed. We had issues with the climax and the coda. Still, a huge plus is that Naomie Harris is tremendous as a Michonne-like leader...for a while, at least. So stay alert for any infected in your area as the 487th Have You Ever Seen yaps about an unfortunately timely subject...namely, a crippling virus that ravages society.

Sparkplug Coffee is the way to start your day. Go to sparkplug.coffee/hyes to snag a 20% discount by using our "hyes" promo code. Contact us on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or via email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) and type in @hyesellis to see our growing archive of shows on YouTube. You'll find this entire podcast plus about 8 minutes of us on-camera talking about the sequel, Triangle Of Sadness and more. And if you like to hear about sports films, Ryan has another podcast that covers that (Scoring At The Movies).

The Wicker Man is a cult movie about a cult, so that alone makes it a good choice for Scary Movie Month. Robin Hardy's film is really more of a mystery than a horror extravaganza though, as the pious and intentionally unlikable policeman from the mainland (Edward Woodward) slowly finds out just how dedicated the Scottish islanders are to their Lord (Christopher Lee). These people love their apples. They're also liberated, sexy and even like to have fun on Summerisle, but they're often mean-spirited as they essentially torture the repressed cop. The picture isn't especially frightening, but the iconic ending is disturbing and haunting. Oh, and as influential as The Wicker Man is, we forgot to mention that this movie was also the inspiration for the Burning Man Festival! We DID often mention the ludicrous Nicolas Cage remake a lot though. Something about a shark. So sacrifice some of your time to sing and dance by the fire as you take in the 544th episode of Have You Ever Seen.

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To get in touch with the Ellises, you can blast off an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). We continue to be on Twittex. We're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. And you can contact us on our YouTube channel (@hyesellis in your browser) and of course subscribe, like, rate, share and engage with us.

Our final episode in July digs into what might be Ron Howard’s most personal film. For the Next 159 Project, we dig fairly deep into a dramedy with a fantastic ensemble cast and a top-notch screenplay by the Ganz/Mandel team. Dianne Wiest and Joaquin Phoenix are stand-outs, but Steve Martin and Jason Robards hit some home runs too. It sure isn’t flawless (yeesh, that too-perfect ending) and the Buckman family’s obsession with procreating didn’t hit home with the Ellises. Still, not many movies feel this relatable or have this much heart. Or this many references to diarrhea.

An excellent summer beverage is a cuppa joe, so order up some Sparkplug Coffee ASAP. Our promo code (“top100project”) will still get you a delightful 10% discount at check-out.

The Twitterverse is an option: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

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Off for the Civic Holiday next week, but we're back at it on August 12th with Green Book.

We begin the Month of Crazy Stupid Love with a film that the Sight And Sound absolutely worships. The BBC Culture people do too. But we don't. We do RESPECT In The Mood For Love immensely. The actors are good and it's one of the best-looking motion pictures ever made. The cinematography, the sets and especially the costumes should have won Oscars, even though the film wasn't nominated in any of those categories. But, yes, there's certainly plenty to admire in this movie about self-imposed forbidden love as Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung deal with the pain of their partners' infidelity by falling for each other. Are these feelings real though or are the two of them just wallowing in that pain? We try to sort all of that out in Have You Ever Seen #490 as we also try our hardest to see what others see in In The Mood For Love.

For stupendous coffee, go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and you can even save 20% off your very next order by using our "hyes" promo code. Find this podcast on YouTube and follow us on Twitter. Our main page on the 'Tube is @hyesellis and our tweetables are @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Our YouTube videos also feature us talking a bit more about the movie of that week and then discussing recent films we've seen, then answering listener emails or online comments. As for email, that's haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. And "Scoring At The Movies" is Ryan's other podcast, where sports pictures are the topic.

Let’s take a trip to Germany in the early 1930s and check into the Grand Hotel along with MGM’s all-star cast. It wasn’t as common then as it is now to cast so many big names like Garbo, Crawford, Beery and the Barrymores in the same movie, but it paid off. This was a hit and went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Edmund Goulding’s interwoven-character study represents the very first time in nearly 9 years of podcasting that we’ve covered Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford or John Barrymore. Their real (okay, real-adjacent) performances were the keys of this stylish production. So don’t steal from your fancy schmancy floormates as people come and people go. Just do normal-people things like drive to work, wash the dishes or fold the laundry as the 432nd Ellises’ Analysis yips in your ear about the Grand (Berlin) Hotel.

They didn’t have Sparkplug Coffee back in the early ’30s, which was their immense loss. Maybe it would’ve made all these unhappy people feel better. Anyway, we have it now and we suggest you get a bunch. Your next order will be 20% off if you just put “top100project” into the promo section.

Twitter, huh? Find us @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

For a little while longer, our website is top100project.com

Ryan also yaps about sports flicks on Scoring At The Movies

We end 2019 with a show about our favourites of the year and our year in podcasting. The bulk of the episode though highlights our faves of the past decade. In this Next 177 Project, we count from 10 down to 1 about which pictures impressed us the most between 2010 and 2019. No spoilers about what those titles will be....well, except to say that we didn’t even find room on our lists for Inception or 7 of the decade’s winners of the Best Picture Oscar. Happy and safe New Year to you all!

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On January 6th, we'll gum-wag about The Social Network

1950 was a year in which legendary classics like All About Eve and Sunset Blvd were released, but one of their competitors for the Best Picture Oscar was Vincente Minnelli's light comedy...which is itself a low-key classic. Father Of The Bride is well-written and it has more laughs than most movies that came out in that era, largely because Spencer Tracy knew how to be funny in a dignified way. He's nearly at his best in this as a successful lawyer...and he's also Elizabeth Taylor's dad. He's self-absorbed and unable to accept that his daughter has grown up & ready to get married, but he's lovable all the same. Kudos to Joan Bennett too as the MOTHER Of The Bride. Father Of The Bride may be fluffy, but it packs a bit of a melancholy punch, especially if you happen to be middle-aged like we are. So we begin the shortest month of the year with our first episode in "Old Love Month" on Have You Ever Seen in this 642nd edition.

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Contact us. Our email is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". On social media, we're "ryan-ellis" and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky and "@moviefiend51" and "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X. We also post our episodes on YouTube at some point on the day we post a new podcast. It's @hyesellis in the search bar on the 'Tube. Comment, like and subscribe.

At my signal, unleash Braveheartacus! The Next 184 Project gets into the issues of how Commodus (toilet!) is a “failson” and how the whole derivative story is a WWF-esque popularity contest. This Ridley Scott / Russell Crowe action flick that won big at the Oscars 20 years ago works even as well as it does because of Crowe’s humanity and even, believe it or not, humour. But, of course, there are a lot of bloody effective battle scenes too…and that’s the hallmark of this still-beloved picture. So plot your revenge as you long for your beautiful family and also your beautiful wheat, then find yourself rooting for an empire to keep empiring as we hit you with some Gladiator.

Well, Actually: Crowe has died in at least 1 other movie (Les Insufferables). Also, Djimon Hounsou has indeed been nominated for 2 Oscars, not 3.

To stay awake long enough to kill the ego-maniacal boss of your whole country, you gotta get some Sparkplug Coffee. They continue to offer a 20% discount if you use our promo code (“top100project”) at checkout.

At our tweets, you should probably just unleash likes & retweets: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Next week, we'll be going back 80 years to do a back-and-forth about Pinocchio.

Here come Hanks and Hannah in our Next 149 Project as we lip-wag about a fruit merchant falling in love with a mythical fish-babe. How can anyone not love this rom-com to the ends of the Earth? Well....we didn’t. Splash was one of Bev’s favourites as a kid, but now she has issues with Allen's attitude and we both wish the movie had been funnier. Hannah is perfectly cast though and there’s definitely fun to be had with this occasionally knee-slapping picture. Ron Howard became a major player as a director after this and he’d go on to do better work, as would his star, Thomas Nice Guy. But enough pre-beefin’. Listen to our full-on beefin’!

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The Twitterverse has to endure our rare twittishness: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Next week: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I suppose you’d be wise to spend some of your Valentine’s Day hearing us warble about Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent and friends do mighty good work in Away From Her. The 2 leads are quiet dynamite, but Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy and Kristen Thomson are a fair bit of gentle TNT themselves. Sarah Polley’s debut as both a writer and director is a sensitive, lovely film about senior citizens. What’s especially impressive is that Polley was only 27 years old when she made it. So don’t disappear. Just learn to accept that your life is changing (maybe not for the better) as the 429th Ellises’ Analysis sorts through the beautiful, but devastating angles of this lyrical opus to aging and Alzheimer’s.

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We tweet out thoughts on occasion: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website remains top100project.com

To hear Ryan talk about sports flicks, take the trip to Scoring At The Movies

The day after we talked about a classic animated film set in the ocean---Finding Nemo---Ryan posts a solo gab about another highly-enjoyable seafaring adventure comedy called Moana. The Disney blockbuster is formulaic, but it's fun and fantastically well-made. So, yes, this monologue spends 10 minutes yipping about Moana, but the real thrust of this 509th episode of Have You Ever Seen is a breakdown of Dwayne Johnson's career in film. Is The Rock actually "the biggest star in the world", as his wrestling colleagues have been saying for years? Ryan deluges you with facts and figures to analyze just how true or not that "biggest star in the world' statement is.

Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and you can save 20% off your next order by using that "hyes" promo code.

This episode---like our other 2023 podcasts---is available on YouTube. These solo shows are always just the same audio you can download from your podcast avenue of choice, but occasionally Ryan and Bev sit down for some on-camera chat time for the episodes we do together.

Contacting us is very easy. Twitter: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Email: haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com

To hear Ryan talk with Chris Di Gregorio about Dwayne Johnson's Beyond The Mat and Fighting With My Family, go to the "Scoring At The Movies" podcast because both those wrestling films are on there.

“Controversy Month” wraps up with the Next 162 Project as we analyze the greatest of the classic 007 flicks. Beloved as it is (especially by the AFI), it’s also troublesome because of James Bond’s staggeringly terrible sexism. Dude’s a flat-out rapist in this movie, but the power of his loins convinces his victim to become a hero, so….that makes it okay? Well, of course not, but we spend some time discussing that cringey issue. No one can argue that the film was a monster hit and it finalized the template that the first 2 Bond pics had already started to establish. This one is equal parts exciting and silly…and the silly brought about some Reasonably Good Questions. So settle back with a shaken martini, put your Sean Connery pants on (lest he slap you) and dig into the goooooooooooold!

Sparkplug Coffee time! For a 20% discount off some genuinely great java, use our promo code ("top100project").

Tweets a-comin’: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

On September 9th, we'll review The Rules Of The Game

After 3 weeks off, Bev returns to the podcast to chat about Alfred Hitchcock's chamber piece. His Dial M For Murder stars a few very talented liars. Well, the characters are, not the actors. The best of those is Ray Milland, who's tremendous in this as one of Hitchcock's most-diabolical villains. His wife was unfaithful and he has a coldblooded plan to get revenge...and to get her money too. Grace Kelly is that wife and she's not at her best here, although the writing doesn't help her character be much more than a plot device. Otherwise, Frederick Knott's script (based on his own play) is dynamite. Dial M For Murder was also part of the early-'50s fad of being shot in 3D, although it was rarely shown that way. And it didn't need it. When Hitch and his team are cooking, they don't need gimmicks. So get cozy in your small English flat as a stranger gears up to strangle you in this 591st edition of Have You Ever Seen, which makes the call to talk about Dial M For Murder.

Look for great java by checking out "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". That "HYES" discount code will give you a onetime 20% savings on Sparkplug Coffee's excellent beans.

We love to hear what you think of our thoughts. Email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or hit us with some messages on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). She's reachable on Threads with that same @. And dial us up on YouTube. Subscribe, rate, review, like and just do all those helpful things on your app or on the 'Tube.

The last few months of Ellises’ Analysis podcasts have been about straightforward movies, so we were overdue to get into surreal territory in our 382nd episode. To borrow a scream from Timon in The Lion King, “WHAT’S GOIN’ ON HERE?!” Well, we have theories, Timon. Robert Eggers is 2 for 2 on the weirdness scale and (just like in The Witch) he loves to play with us about what’s real and what isn’t. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson chew it up as they tease us with their sometimes indecipherable speech patterns and they REALLY tease us as they play up the homosexual subtext. It’s a meaty movie, matey. So leave that seagull alone and gulp down some tasty turpentine as we spill our beans about The Lighthouse.

When you can’t drink the water and you don’t want to drink the booze, you’d be a dadburn fool not to guzzle Sparkplug Coffee. They are eager to give all you scurvy dogs a 20% discount. All y’ar need to do is type in our promo code (“top100project”) at checkout.

Be modern and talk to us on that thar site known as Twitter. We’re @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also debates the goods and the bads of sports movies on Scoring At The Movies

To honour Veterans/Remembrance Day, the Next 171 Project harkens back to the Gulf War to dig into the rare war comedy that succeeds at both being funny AND shooting stuff up. Writer/director David O. Russell’s moderate success helped firm up the acting cred of his Three Kings: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube, all of whom are huge power-players in the industry now. And let’s not forget the fourth king, Spike Jonze, who was directing Being John Malkovich this same year! Anyway, their film is unfortunately still very relevant and has even more depth & meaning than it did 20 years ago. It’s a movie of contrasts, which is a plus, but a bigger plus is that this picture spends a lot of time with Iraqi civilians (the true victims of this war…or any war). So call your gooney bird from deep inside a bunker and learn some hard lessons about morality, as these characters certainly do.

Sparkplug Coffee is a great way to wake up for that early-morning raid in the desert. A discount of 20% will be yours if you use our promo code (“top100project”) when you head to the check-out.

For The Record: We stand by the statement that most movies about the wars in Iraq and the quagmire in Afghanistan haven’t been all that great, but there ARE some excellent documentaries about those “adventures” (No End In Sight and Fahrenheit 9/11, to name a couple). Also, check out John Ridley’s Oscar win to see that he & Russell must have made peace since making this movie. Also also, we didn’t discuss this Reasonably Good Question: even if their gold thievery had gone off without a hitch, how were the guys ever going to get all those bars out of Iraq without being caught?

Tweets, my friends: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website: www.top100project.com

In 2 weeks, we'll yibber about The Muppet Movie

Our 10th Annual Oscars Preview podcast is the 647th chat on Have You Ever Seen...and it's an in-depth look at the controversial 97th Academy Awards. First-time host Conan O'Brien will probably riff on the dirt, but also how this is one of those “who are you people” Oscars. Yeah, it just wasn’t a terrific year for film and the nominations reflect that...particularly in major categories like Best Picture and Best Director. It also seems like people watched 15 or 20 movies all year, then just picked them as nominees in nearly every category. So fire up our show to hear if we think this will be the year of a sex-worker winning all the big prizes. Or will it be the year of a transgender drug lord? Or maybe it’ll be the year of a surly, green witch. Or a brutal artist.

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And follow us on social media: @moviefiend51 and ryan-ellis for Ryan on Bluesky and @bevellisellis and bevellisellis on Bluesky. Email us: haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. And seek out the show on YouTube. The destination in the search bar is @hyesellis. Comment, like and don't leave before you subscribe.

Most of our choices so far in this year's Scary Movie Month haven't been all that goosebump-inducing. Creature From The Black Lagoon isn't very frightening either, but Jack Arnold's film WAS influential, especially on Guillermo Del Toro and his Oscar-winning The Shape Of Water. The Gill Man in this 1954 Universal Monster flick might look corny now in his creature suit, but the underwater shots the crew got and the stunts they all did down there remain impressive. The most-famous scene is, of course, when the creature yearns for Julie/a Adams as she swims on the surface. Ah, the loneliness of the outcast. But while the title character is violent, you could also say that he's provoked. There's a lot of "bad guy" blame to go around...to Gill AND to the Richards, Carlson & Denning. So set sail on the Rita with our 618th podcast in your ears as we discuss the soggy doings in Creature From The Black Lagoon.

Well, Actually: the pronunciation of Ricou Browning DOES seem to be "Rico". Also, the 1975 and 2005 King Kong films should have been called "remakes", not "sequels". Also also, Arthur Ross wrote "The Creature WALKS Among Us", not "The Creature Among Us".

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Contact us! Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". On Twi-X, we're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Bev can be found on Threads with that same handle. Rate and review us on your podcast app. And look for our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment, like and subscribe.

This year's Scary Movie Month has turned into a month of undisputed horror classics, especially in these one-Ryan shows. Halloween was discussed on October 9th. Now it's time for one of the best-made, freakiest frightfests ever. William Friedkin's mega-blockbuster won 2 Oscars---it should have won more---and it remains beloved in the eyes of many, even if repeated viewings dampen the skin-crawling moments a little. Not that The Exorcist couldn't terrify the uninitiated, even if the greatly-diminishing returns of the 5 sequels have done nothing to continue its legacy. Those mostly-unworthy follow-ups are highlighted here too, but the main event is the 1973 original with Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller anchoring the maniacal story about demonic possession and religious faith. For all the remarkable technical achievements on display here, the humanity of the characters is a huge reason this film still works. The emotion between Burstyn and Blair, in particular, hits home. So turn down the lights, turn up the sound and set aside an hour for an Exorcist monologue in this 543rd head-spin of Have You Ever Seen.

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This is the rare time we’ve ever posted an episode on Labour Day, but this movie DOES star the man who has to do “every dirty job”. Harry Callahan is the quintessential good guy with a gun who has to combat a bad guy with a gun, but Harry is also a reckless vigilante in the Batman mode. This movie is also pretty much just a sadist chasing a sadist around San Francisco. Dirty Harry might be fascist and it might even be dangerous, but that doesn’t take away the flick’s visceral entertainment value. It’s a complicated movie about a complicated issue. Don Siegel directs Clint Eastwood in perhaps his signature role, but are they just pedaling right-wing propaganda in this crime classic? How does the movie play after last year’s #BLM and “Defund The Police” movements took America by storm? We had plenty to say about all that. So enjoy your hour with the 407th Ellises’ Analysis because the world isn’t getting any better and all us punks could use a little escape into fantasy right about now.

Well, Actually: Popeye Doyle is indeed one of AFI’s Top 50 Heroes (he ranked 44th). Also, Eastwood only directed Sudden Impact in the Dirty Harry series.

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Scoring At The Movies is Ryan’s other podcast, where sports pictures are the topic

For the 5th year in a row, we present a February gab about the world’s biggest awards show. The Next 181 Project represents the longest episode the Ellises have ever done and that’s because there is A LOT to discuss about this year’s show. Not everyone will agree with our…let’s say uneasy feelings about Joker or Little Women. Many people will also strongly disagree with our resounding boos for The Irishman. Maybe most of you WILL love that we have great things to say about Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story and Knives Out. After a marvelous 2018, 2019 ended up being an outstanding year at the movies too. Perhaps it will end up being highlighted by a truckload of gold for 1917. All these numbers! So pop open a cold beverage and softly guzzle our thoughts about the 92nd Academy Awards.

Well, Actually…: Sam Mendes did in fact win the DGA award for Best Director while Jojo Rabbit and Parasite won the WGA’s adapted and original screenplay awards, respectively. Also, Adam Driver was in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in 2019, so that makes FIVE releases for him last year. Also also, writer/directors who’ve won 3 Oscars for their screenplays include Woody Allen (as mentioned) plus Billy Wilder and Francis Coppola.

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We’ll be tweeting on Oscar Night this Sunday: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

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Next week, we'll tackle the 1980 Oscar-winner, Ordinary People

We haven’t yapped about a Wes Anderson movie in over 4 years, so the 390th Ellises’ Analysis was crying out to end that twee drought. Actually, forget that “twee” stuff. Why be so reductive of such a talented filmmaker? Anderson is quirky and precise, plus he loves his eye-popping colours (especially pink), he loves his ensemble casts and he loves making tragicomedies. This film is a bit more cold and distant than some of his other ones, but it’s also a surprisingly violent movie about grief and trying to remain civil in uncivil times. However, like all of Wes’ works, The Grand Budapest Hotel is awfully funny. Ralph Fiennes is uncharacteristically hilarious in the leading role and what a sensational supporting cast working with and against him. So settle in for our last movie in Oscar Month as we unravel the delightful threads on this grand turducken.

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Ryan also tosses it back and forth about sports movies on Scoring At The Movies

Even though John Sturges is one of the most underrated directors of all time, remaking Seven Samurai could have turned out to be a big mistake if it failed. Instead, The Magnificent Seven is fun, cool and exciting...and it has a layer of sadness too. Sadness and desperation have been unintentional themes in our movies this month, actually. Still, it's hard not to make your western cool when you've got names like Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Charles Bronson in the cast. Who's your favourite of the Seven? What's your favourite broad gesture by a member of the cast? We discussed those things and we discussed how Mag Seven is revered now, but wasn't the blockbuster that it seems like it should have been when it came out. Perhaps the straightforward "good guy vs bad guy" western was a dying genre in 1960, even though this is similar to the greatest horse-and-gun movies in that it has more complications and angles than it seems at first. So go on location down in Mexico and do the right thing for a bunch of farmers who are just trying to avoid being killed by a bandit's henchman as we present a crackerjack episode here in Have You Ever Seen #551.

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We kick off 2018 with a big dose of funny as Christopher Guest and his tremendous troupe of comic improvisers are at their peak. Oh, this mockumentary is also about THE DOGS…but it’s really about their dopey owners. It’s a charming flick which might even be funnier than it was 18 years ago. To snag a 10% discount on your first order of Sparkplug Coffee, use the code “Top100Project”.

For episode #600 of Have You Ever Seen, we're completing the Quentin Quest. With this, we have reviewed everything Tarantino has directed (well, discounting Four Rooms). Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is the man's most-emotional film and it's his most-personal too. The outstanding cast is headlined by the hilarious Leonardo Di Caprio, the gruff (and Oscar-winning) Brad Pitt and the sweet-as-honey Margot Robbie. She doesn't get as much to do as the guys do, but her lovely performance always brings one of us to tears. This film is funny, it's heartfelt, it's tense and QT gets back into "revisionist history" territory when Leo & Pitt's fictional characters cross paths with the very-real Manson maniacs. Bring on the ultra-violence...and bring on the laughs! This movie about movie-making (and television-making) isn't Tarantino's #1 film, but it deepens with meaning every time we see it. So enjoy this fairy tale that often feels as real as a donut because we're talking about Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Well, Actually: Jodie Foster appeared in a few TV shows in 1969, so the young actress WAS acting right around the time this movie is set. Also, Bruce Dern worked with QT on The Hateful Eight, of course, but he's also in Django Unchained. Also also, they were shooting the Lancer pilot in February, so Rick not talking about working on that show is probably because a proper season would only start airing after the events of this movie. And Bibi from Kill Bill is played by Perla Haney-Jardine.

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Talk to us. We continue to go on Twi-X sometimes. Ryan is @moviefiend51 on there and Bev is @bevellisellis (same handle on Threads). Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". We also post all our episodes on YouTube. The address in your browser is "@hyesellis". Comment, like and subscribe, but also do the rate-and-review thing on your podcast app.

Look at us covering one of the whitest movies ever on MLK Day. Well, it's quite a film that happens to be about many compelling things: lying, cheating and masculinity. It's also legitimately funny. Swedish writer/director Ruben Ostlund has made a career out of filming the uncomfortable and he loves to show people who are trying to save face. In Force Majeure, we've got a marriage on the rocks after Johannes Kuhnke fails his family in a crisis, which brings about a bitter conflict with his wife (Lisa Loven Kongsli). So don't be a coward when a lot of snow is rushing your way or when a bus driver is making you uneasy, but feel free to ugly cry in front of your family as the 562nd Have You Ever Seen podcast banters about Force Majeure.

Well, Actually: the proper pronunciation of Ostlund's last name DOES seem to be to rhyme the first 3 letters with "frost", not "toast" or "boost". Also, Ostlund has indeed directed a few other films besides his Big Three, including Involuntary and Play.

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There might not be a better accomplishment than to make a movie that has cynics like us want to stand up and chant "USA, USA!" Wolfgang Petersen's Air Force One does just that. Harrison Ford's dogged toughness and his humanity as perhaps the most-popular president in film history is the key here, but the rest of the large cast (especially Gary Oldman as a Russian terrorist) is pretty great too. There are also surprisingly timely echoes of many recent real-life events. In fact, here's a warning for those who don't want to hear us rip on a certain golf-obsessed Floridian: skip ahead a few minutes at the 13-minute mark. But this movie doesn't even need any of these shreds of verisimilitude. It's just a wonderfully entertaining thriller that makes you want to go back to the beginning and watch it again! We also opened up the comment bag at the end of this 449th Ellises' Analysis, which brought about a pretty big announcement. So while a dozen different terrible things are happening in the country that celebrates the 4th of July, enjoy our talk about Petersen & Ford's "smart dumb" movie. To do that even better, get yourself a plane-load of Sparkplug Coffee. They'll give you a 20% discount if you use our promo code ("top100project"). You can also tweet us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and you should seek out Ryan's sports movie podcast ("Scoring At The Movies").

If you dig beauty pageants, the 377th Ellises’ Analysis probably won’t be your jam. We weren’t kind to such ridiculous nonsense in this episode. We did love the performances of these actors though and the Dayton/Faris/Arndt directing & writing team set this chemistry-filled cast up with some good material. And the laughs! Funny movie. There are problems though. The surprise ending that bonds the family is delightful and the movie mocks beauty pageants, but the film is still asking us to root for a little girl to enter one in the first place. Anyway, it’s time to dance with your superfreaky family and gulp down some ice cream for breakfast as you judge our thoughts about Little Miss Sunshine.

Well, Actually: It should be noted that pageant assistant Pam (Mary Lynn Rajskub) also takes quiet delight in Olive’s controversial dance, just as the DJ and that weird biker guy do.

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Ryan also digs into movies with sports in them over on Scoring At The Movies

Minari didn’t rake in bucks at the box office earlier in this weird year and having to read pesky subtitles still turns a lot of people off, but this movie is very worth your time. It’s simply a charm offensive. Lee Isaac Chung’s beautiful and relatable family film is even more relatable if you’ve ever struggled to make ends meet while also trying to live your (maybe impossible) dream. Chung’s entire cast is remarkable, but the outstanding work done by Yuh-Jung Youn and Alan Kim as grandma & grandson is the key to the entire project. We just love that kid! So pop the 417th Ellises’ Analysis into your device while you spend at least a little time keeping flammable objects away from your livelihood as we talk about a Korean-turned-American slice of life in the heartland.

When you’re desperate for water for your crops, coffee probably isn’t a priority. However, YOU aren’t likely in a desperate bid to grow food, so load up on the beans! You can also do yourself a favour by going to our sponsor’s website (Sparkplug Coffee). You’ll get a 20% discount if you enter our promo code (“top100project”) into the right box at check-out.

We do the tweetin’ thing sometimes: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also talks about sports pictures on Scoring At The Movies

For the 102nd Next 100 Project podcast (and our 248th podcast overall), we dive into “Fred” Hitchcock’s supposedly favourite movie with all its squirm-inducing sexual innuendo. This flick has some of The Master’s best-ever devious subtext. Bev’s also got intriguing theories about Uncle Charlie’s true identity and about Hitchcock’s possible contempt for America during WWII. Ryan gets to bust out his worse-than-mediocre impression of ol’ Fred. What’s not to love about this episode? For superb java, zip on over to Sparkplug Coffee and you can save 10% on your very 1st order if you use the promo code “top100project”.

Bonus episode! A terrific year for movies has been wrapped up with a surprise winner (and the right winner) of a slew of gold naked guys. Parasite was the delightful surprise champeen of 2019, taking home trophies for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and International Feature. We talked about how this was the "Diversity & Inclusion" Oscars, even though the nominees themselves were still mostly white dudes. We talked about some "huh?" moments, but also some touching ones. Overall, t'was a memorable (and historic) show, capped off with a record-breaking number of trips to the big stage by a man who most people never knew before a few months ago. So give a legend a standing ovation and yell "UP! UP!" at some trigger-happy TV producers, but then parcel out some time to take in our musings about the last Oscars of the 20-teens.

Blaxploitation movies were very popular with audiences 50 years ago. Jack Hill's Foxy Brown is a classic largely because of Pam Grier, who was not only a staggering beauty with 12/10 sex appeal, but she also plays a badass you could root for. And her sublime performance in Jackie Brown happened largely because of how much QT liked this flick. Ryan's monologue tackles the story, of course, but also speculates about what a modern remake might look like. The possibilities are fascinating. So wear a series of terrific outfits and avenge your boyfriend as this one-man talk---our 581st episode and our second in Revenge Month---takes Have You Ever Seen into the gritty world of Foxy Brown.

A programming note: a review of Batman will air on April 29th, while April 19th won't be a talk about Death Wish after all. It will actually be a funny "revenge" movie in that slot.

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Find us on Twi-x (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Bev has the same handle on Threads. Email us at "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". And check us out on YouTube (@hyesellis). Like, comment, rate, review and subscribe there and also in your podcast app.

The Next 125 Project is our final choice in Scary Movie Month and it’s got us yapping about the big bad red guy for the 2nd week in a row. While Ruth Gordon’s Oscar-winning work feels a little silly now, Mia Farrow gives the performance of her life. Controversial writer/director Roman Polanski’s red-letter moments are worth the hype, but what about the movie as a whole (especially as a horror picture)? Enhh, we've got mixed feelings. And what’s with witches and devils always following rules & obeying contracts? That was a theme in this month's horror flicks. We get into all that, but you gotta get into Sparkplug Coffee and win a 10% discount when you use our promo code “top100project”.

To wrap up the year, Have You Ever Seen episode #636 reviews our first Peter Sellers movie in over 10 years. He was flawlessly funny in Dr. Strangelove (which is the other film we reviewed) and he's note-perfect in Being There too. Hal Ashby had a very-underrated run of greatness in the '70s, directing powerful dramas like Coming Home, but also making truly funny-yet-cynical yuck-fests like Shampoo and this. In Being There, Sellers plays an illiterate gardener who supposedly-intelligent people believe is the wisest man they know. Melvyn Douglas won an Oscar playing a dupe who projects so much onto this blank slate, partly because he's a well-dressed, pleasant, older man. The film is also prescient about presidential politics, with Sellers spouting inoffensive platitudes...and then there's that infamous Jesus imagery at the end. It's quite a ride. So we hope you like to listen as much as Chance/Chauncey likes to watch as the Ellises bid you Happy New Year and present a gab about Being There.

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Next 100 Project ep #128 gives us a nice turn on the "they went looking for America and instead found themselves" angle. Albert Brooks' yuks riot slips in clever commentary on the entitlement of people who want to chuck it all, but only if they have a nice camper and a really big nest egg. Just don't say "nest" or "egg!" Oh, and don't rely on 22, 22, 22! Julie Hagerty & Brooks are a delightful comic couple in this road movie that provides belly laughs from start to that gut-busting finish. To keep you awake on that drive from Arizona to Manhattan, buy some Sparkplug Coffee. You will score a nice little 10% discount by typing in our promo code "top100project" at checkout.

The one that made movie stars out of Damon & Affleck has been discussed by nearly everybody for the past 25 years, but we managed to find several new wrinkles in this well-written dramedy about friendship, love, grief and advanced math. Matt & Ben won Oscars for their quotable script and so did Robin Williams for his heartfelt performance as Damon's therapist. Williams is at his best in Good Will Hunting and now we can see how his character has even more depth than we thought at the time. Gus Van Sant got marvelous work out of those 3 stars, not to mention Stellan Skarsgard and Minnie Driver. It's an atypical film for an arthouse director like Van Sant, but he wrings all the emotion and comedy out of apples, caramels and Bah-ston coffee. So let the quirky, cool and sexy lady win you over with a kiss as the 445th Ellises' Analysis psychoanalyzes Good Will Hunting. But, hey, don't sit around eating caramels when you can get a 20% discount off Sparkplug Coffee. Use our promo code ("top100project") to save some money, but also tweet us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and why not seek out Ryan's sports movie podcast (Scoring At The Movies).

Everybody cut (everybody cut) in the 1984 version of Footloose. The story takes us to a repressed middle-American town where dancing is outlawed until Kevin Bacon rages against that particular machine. He's the city slicker with fast feet who pushes back on John Lithgow's religious father figureness. They both do very good work here and so does the rebellious Lori Singer, but Chris(topher) Penn steals the entire film, especially when the brawny farmer learns the joy of dancing. Herbert Ross' movie also has an excellent soundtrack to help him balance the light side with the serious side. And since it's Ross, Footloose is even a musical of sorts. So don't angry dance at your workplace. Instead put our 595th episode into your '80s-era headphones and release the iron grip you have on your small town so the kids can just enjoy the prom.

Well, Actually: the mill is out of Bomont's jurisdiction because it's across COUNTY lines, not state lines. Also, the kids being terrorized by the brick through the window are Ren's cousins, not his nieces.

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Let's hear from you. We're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis on Twi-X and Bev uses that same @ on Threads. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". And we put all our shows up on YouTube. The destination in your browser is @hyesellis...or look up "Have You Ever Seen" YouTube's search bar. Comment, like, subscribe. Do that and also rate & review our eps on your podcast app too.

Warning: Catholics and Pope-lovers might want to steer clear of the Next 183 Project. S’pretty explosive stuff. We go hard on the church and the cover-up of the sex abuse scandal (a more accurate way to put that would be CHILD RAPE). As for the movie that shows how the intrepid journalists at the Boston Globe went about covering this controversial story, Spotlight is a rock-solid procedural filled with unglamorous research done by a great team of professionals. While the Keaton/Ruffalo/McAdams trifecta got all the press for their performances in this Oscar-winner, director Tom McCarthy finds roles for Stanley Tucci and Liev Schreiber that might be even better than the stars. They quietly steal the movie. So find out if we think this five-year-old Best Picture remains as good as so many people thought in 2015.

Well, Actually…: Please forgive some clunkiness during our chat about the Top 5 Best Pictures of the past decade. We talked about Parasite and 1917 without having known at the time which won the top prize this year. Most of the now-dated “we don’t know which of them won” stuff was cut out. Also, the pope is indeed mentioned at least once…during Ruffalo’s “it could have been you, it could have been me” rant.

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Twitterpalooza: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

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Next week, we'll cover our last picture in Oscar Month...Gladiator

While Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass might be dated now, it was certainly controversial 15 years ago. It's jammed with violence and bad language...and many of those naughty words come out of the mouth of an 11-year-old girl. But it's also a story about a young nobody who becomes a star on social media and goes on to save his city from very bad guy. Take away that he DOES become a superhero and this movie IS our current culture. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the title character and he's about as average as he always is, but Chloe Grace Moretz is fantastic as the merciless Hit-Girl. And while Kick-Ass' Big Bad, Mark Strong, is just okay and Christopher Mintz-Plasse is nothing special as Kick-Ass' friend/foil, Nicolas Cage has a phenomenal time playing Moretz's vengeful dad. And even though Vaughn's adaption of the comic book is colourful and often fun as it explores the theme of "what if a regular kid tried to be a superhero", it doesn't really deliver on that promise. This is a pretty long 641st edition of Have You Ever Seen, so start up the Mist Mobile and plop our podcast into that rockin' sound system as you patrol the streets.

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Send us an email: "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". Ryan is "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky. And look for all of our shows on YouTube. Type "@hyesellis" in the search bar). Comment, like and subscribe.

Before you see Greta Gerwig's take on Louisa May Alcott’s classic feminist novel, gobble up our chat about Gillian Armstrong's 25-year-old version. The Next 176 Project throws a big hug around Winona Ryder and her fellow March girls (especially Claire Danes) because your contract as a human pretty much demands you fall in love with lovely people like these. Ryder’s effervescent performance as Jo makes even her romance with a miscast Gabriel Byrne almost believable. So be your independent self and start yuletiding our merry little words.

For The Record: Apologies to Florence Pugh for calling her “Frances”. Also, Ryder’s list of impressive pre-1994 credits should have included Edward Scissorhands and The Age Of Innocence.

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Merry Twittermas! @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website: www.top100project.com

Next week, we'll do a 2019 Wrap-Up and highlight our 10 Faves Of The Past Decade!

Lady Bird was a perfect way for Greta Gerwig to start her directing career. She got to make a movie based on her own life, set in her home city of Sacramento, with a young woman in the lead role, which succeeded at the box office and was beloved by critics. Mic drop. A huge plus is that Gerwig's caustically funny flick has an atypical ending to a coming-of-age story, contrast to the easy answers these kinds of movies tend to serve up. Saoirse Ronan is tremendous (this is nothing new) as the prickly, Sacramento-hating high-schooler who renamed herself to the dismay of her ultra-passive-aggressive mother. Laurie Metcalf is great as that mother, as is Tracy Letts as Ronan's father. Really, the whole cast in Lady Bird is something else. So don't dive out of a moving vehicle to win a car-gument, but come to understand that sometimes love hurts as we bring you the 460th Ellises' Analysis. By the way, leaving home to go to college is not an easy transition, but it IS easy to buy Sparkplug Coffee wherever that Canadian or American college might be. You'll get a 20% discount if you use our promo code ("top100project"). Also, we'd love to hear from you via email (top100projectpodcast@gmail.com) or via tweets (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). Oh, and since you like podcasts about movies, you should know that Ryan talks about sports films on "Scoring At The Movies".

You’ll get 2 reviews for the price of one in the 393rd Ellises’ Analysis because the sequel came up a lot in this chat about Dreamworks’ groundbreaking Shrek. The snarky and often meta sense of humour that was so fresh at the time is still pretty gut-busting 2 decades later. Getting comedy superstars like Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy to provide the voices for the two iconic main roles was not as common as it's become ever since, but, wow, did the Myers/Murphy stunt casting (not to mention Cameron Diaz and especially John Lithgow) work perfectly. And while Pixar was and is the benchmark for digital animation, the look of Shrek is comparatively awesome in its own right. Well, mostly. So as you digest our gab about the ogre, please don’t bully the bad guy about his pintsizedness when there are so many other reason to dislike him, but DO love yourself no matter what you look like.

You can live happily ever after if you become a customer of Sparkplug Coffee. Man, that’s a big promise. Okay, you can just get a great bunch of beans to go with your waffles. And, hey, they continue to offer a 20% discount if you use our promo code (“top100project”) at checkout.

If you like to tweet, you can find us @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also has a sports movie podcast on Scoring At The Movies

It's the return of the Now Playing Project! Horror flick Brightburn (aka A-Hole Superman) opens this weekend and Ryan decided to *gasp* pay money to see it on Friday afternoon. It's the new age of horror, man. You gotta support these creative ventures. This is a solo review. No Bev or Chris in this one. Oh, and there are huge spoilers in this episode, pretty much from the start. Also, Ryan gives you a couple minutes worth of thoughts about Avengers: Endgame for good measure.

On the Twitter thingamastuffs, look for @moviefiend51

Making a sequel to a beloved classic was always going to be tough sledding, but the talented writer/director Mike Flanagan simply couldn’t make a great movie out of Stephen King’s follow-up to The Shining. Maybe the failure with Doctor Sleep mostly lies with King’s overly detailed book and all of its subplots. Maybe it’s that we get far too much of the top-hatted Rebecca Ferguson and her fellow steam-sniffing pseudo-vampires. Or maybe it’s that there just aren’t very many real scares in this horror show. We couldn't sneer at Ewan McGregor’s work though because he does a terrific job playing grown-up alcoholic Danny Torrance. We also liked the finale at the Overlook more than most people did. Some ups, many downs. In any case, don’t let our overall disappointment ruin your enjoyment of the 409th Ellises’ Analysis. Just crank up an omnipresent heartbeat sound effect and stuff your demons in a mind-box as we dabble in the redrum of Doctor Sleep.

Well, Actually: On second thought, Abra’s mother Lucy might be the one who’s Jack Torrance’s daughter from an affair. And if THAT’S correct, then Dan really would be Abra’s uncle.

Sparkplug Coffee is ideal for all who ingest substances, even steam-inhaling vampires. Those creatures—but more importantly humans like you—can enjoy a 20% discount from our friends at Sparkplug. Just toss in our promo code (“top100project”) when you’re ready to go to the checkout.

Whether you’re deep in the bowels of a haunted hotel or taking a break from life’s troubles down in Florida, you can tweet us: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also has a sports movie podcast. It’s called Scoring At The Movies

For the Next 155 Project, we spend a good long while jamming about all the big-screen Spider-Man pictures, not just #2. In #2 specifically, though, Peter Parker is the young web-slinger with performance anxiety battling Doc Ock, the careless scientist who warps into a potential mass murderer. Despite that grim set-up, director Sam Raimi teamed with squeaky-voiced Tobey Maguire to make a bright, fun sequel that improved upon the previous monster hit. It isn’t all sunshine and lollipops though. The cast isn’t as strong in these roles as other actors have been in other Spidey flicks (one guy in particular is……just not good). Regardless, this flick helped build comic-book movies as THE go-to crowd-pleasing, money-making genre.

Sparkplug Coffee is still your source for outstanding java. A 10% discount is yours if you use our promo code (“top100project”).

You can drop us a tweetage: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Off Canada Day. Back on July 8th with Once Upon A Time In The West

Joel & Ethan Coen's ultra-Jewish film was a project that was very personal to them. Their '60s-set A Serious Man takes a humorous look at the trials of Job in the form of Michael Stuhlbarg, an actor who's done many great things in the past 15 years, but this was his breakout. Stuhlbarg looks for meaning in this often-funny, but often-impenetrable and even stressful movie. While this isn't a classic the way many other Coen Brothers films are, it's as well-made and fascinating as just about anything else they've ever made. We just...might not get it? So let our 601st dose of Have You Ever Seen settle into your ears as we try to figure out what the boys are doing in A Serious Man.

Well, Actually: Upon further review, Larry's office is NOT a basement office, so he doesn't have much shelter from the oncoming storm.

Sparkplug Coffee sponsors this podcast. Use our "HYES" promo code and you will receive a one-time 20% discount. The website to hit is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Say hi to us and tell us what you think by emailing us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or using the Twi-X thing (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). We also post our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser), so comment, subscribe and like things there. Rate and review us on your app as well.

The 361st Ellises' Analysis is dedicated to our late dog Fox for reasons that will quickly (and often) become apparent. That little Pomeranian is all over this podcast! Anyway, we're split on yet another movie, but we don't disagree about the quality of the outstanding look and style of Twelve Monkeys. Terry Gilliam's quirks are perfectly suited to this time-travel movie. Wait, is it a time-travel movie...or maybe just one man's psychosis? Brains are twisted trying to figure that out. The film hasn't changed, but we have, so maybe that's why a lot of the performances don't seem as great as they did 25 years ago. A pox on us for saying it, but that includes Brad Pitt and all his manic tics. Bruce Willis, however, is doing pretty much the best work of his long career. So find out what we thought about a virus movie that unfortunately remains very timely.

Well, Actually: The scientists in the future COULD know things Cole has said & heard because they are supposedly monitoring him through his teeth. Also, the inventor of the "TV ball" who won a lawsuit against Universal was Lebbeus Woods. Also also, here's a less-savage approach one could take with the first person who had COVID-19: you could just isolate that person and make sure they were never exposed to anyone else, rather than just outright murder them.

Sparkplug Coffee should be slurped up ASAP, lest a virus kill off a lot of people...possibly even become a worldwide pandemic. *ahem* You will save 20% (and possibly humanity) by using our promo code of "top100project".

Our website is top100project.com

Are we Twitter Monkeys? Oh yes: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Next week, we begin Scary Movie Month by gazing at Repulsion

In the most logical move in film history, Charlton Heston plays a Mexican (cue the hilarity!) in our 103rd Next 100 Project endeavour. He’s actually pretty good and Janet Leigh is also strong in a difficult role. Orson Welles outdoes ’em all though as an extremely corrupt cop…and also as the film’s brilliant director. This was a B movie when it came out, but it has become a noir classic. Technical marvel though it is, the story is a puzzle (which is both a compliment and a criticism). To snag some scrumptious Sparkplug Coffee with a 10% discount on your 1st order, use the code “Top100Project”.

With Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse hitting theatres on Friday, we're taking a fond look at INTO The Spider-Verse. This monumental achievement in animation wowed the world 5 years ago, but what really set it apart were 2 big things...heart and humour. Of course, Lord & Miller were heavily involved, so laughs were a given. What's almost as impressive is that this covers many of the same Spider-beats as other films about this character, but the rehash is done in such inventive and lovely ways that you can't say you're going down the same old road. This feels fresh. Shameik Moore heads a great voice cast in which some of the biggest names like Cage, Pine and Kravitz have some of the smallest parts. We talked about all sorts of angles in this 514th dose of Have You Ever Seen, but barely even brought up race...or that Miles Morales is in fact a bi-racial teenager in a superhero movie. This film is just so much deeper than labels. So prepare for the release of the funky sequel by settling in for our yammer about Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

If you dig coffee, Sparkplug Coffee will give you a 20% discount by using our "hyes" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Communicating with those at HYES is pretty simple. Email us at haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis).

This episode and all of our 2023 podcasts are on YouTube (@hyesellis). The winter ones had us appearing on camera for about 10 minutes, although this episode is just this entire podcast in YouTube form.

And for the last few weeks, we can suggest you check out Ryan's sports movie podcast before it closes up shop. That's known as "Scoring At The Movies".

Step up, step up to hear our chat about a movie that focuses on the, let's say, more unusual circus performers...although Freaks isn't actually about the show the public gets to see. In fact, Tod Browning's revenge story focuses almost entirely on the humdrum lives (and sometimes maniacal actions) of the sideshow characters in this traveling caravan. Just don't cross one of these so-called freaks because if you mess with one, you mess with all of them. The title characters have layers though and there's not a lot of black and white in this film, even though it's literally a black-and-white film. So learn to accept that you're one of us (one of us!) as the 463rd Ellises' Analysis yammers in your ear about the 90-year-old Freaks. Just don't let anyone spike your cup of coffee with anything that'll harm you... and make that unspiked beverage Sparkplug Coffee. Do you like 20% discounts? You'll get one if you use our promo code ("top100project") at checkout. Also, tweet us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), email us (top100projectpodcast@gmail.com) and maybe gander at the 100+ podcasts on Ryan's sports movie podcast known as "Scoring At The Movies".

It’s way past time we talked about a Robert Altman classic and his pokey-paced anti-western is a tremendous choice for our 385th episode. McCabe & Mrs. Miller has the beautiful duo of Warren Beatty and Julie Christie doing an excellent job of heading up an eclectic cast. Beatty is the drunk, muttering, vulnerable beta (who’s got poetry in him) while Christie is the stern, Cockney-spewing alpha (and the real power in this power couple). This film goes against the typical grain of a western, partly because of the audio mix and the unusual look, but also because John McCabe is far from an old-fashioned hero of the old west. So skulk around town and shoot people in the back (which was probably closer to the truth than most shoot-outs) as we gab about Altman’s odd film that truly holds up.

Well, Actually: Julie Christie of course also has a cameo as herself in Nashville and we both liked her in Away From Her enough that we might even cover that picture one day.

Sparkplug Coffee would probably not be a great mix with John’s booze or Constance’s drugs, but Sparkplug’s glorious grounds don’t need any help anyway. If you dig on discounts, you’ll get 20% worth of one by using our promo code (“top100project”) at checkout.

We drop the occasional tweet: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also does some gabbing about sports flicker shows over on Scoring At The Movies

"Controversy Month" begins with this Next 160 Project podcast as we cover a clumsy flick about a virulent racist learning to respect at least 1 (brilliant) black person. Green Book was popular with a lot of people and even won the Best Picture Oscar for Peter Farrelly. Yup, the guy who made Dumb And Dumber. And, yes, it’s got some winning qualities as the actors, particularly Mahershala Ali, do some lovely work. Well, the usually reliable Viggo Mortensen…not so much. The fact is, this Driving Miss Daisy for the 2010s is even more inadequate than last year’s Best Picture winner, The Shape Of Water. At least it provided us with an epic amount on which to chew—and even argue about—as Ryan plays devil’s advocate to Bev’s SJW. There’s also a Roma-inspired “home v theatre” rant at the end that Ryan has been thinking about for months. So steal a rock from a roadside vendor and gnaw on a whole pizza as we devour the movie that showed the world that racism was solved way back in 1962.

Sparkplug Coffee is still our excellent sponsor and they are now offering a 20% discount when you use our promo code (“top100project”). The savings, baby, the savings!

It’s a Twitter storm: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Next week: Mother!

It was about time we covered a Yasujiro Ozu film. The Japanese director is considered a legend and his Tokyo Story has consistently ranked in the Top 5 of the Sight & Sound polls for decades. He gives us a family reunion of a very unhappy family and slowly reveals why we should care about them. That takes quite a while. Ozu's trademark static camera shots are low to the ground. His characters are polite and withholding. And, yet, his style and substance wasn't a home run with both Ellises. Tokyo Story devastated one of us while leaving the other one moved, but much less so. Anyway, stroke that play button while you sit cross-legged on the floor staring off into space with a polite smile on your face. After all, life is disappointing, but we don't think our 510th podcast is.

Residents of Japan can't get Sparkplug Coffee delivered to their front door, but Canadians and Americans certainly can. Punch in "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and get a one-time 20% discount.

We are people who scroll through Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and you can also email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com).

Each of our 2023 episodes are available on YouTube. Lately, it's just been the full show with a still-frame graphic, but we have in the past---and intend to again at some point---appear on camera for 8 or 10 minutes before the show begins.

Ryan also posts sports movie podcasts every other Thursday on "Scoring At The Movies"...at least until June 7th.

Emerald Fennell has been acting for more than 15 years, but the first film she wrote and directed just 3 years ago was an unforgettable debut behind the camera. We had a few problems with Promising Young Woman's ending, but this rape-revenge movie succeeds remarkably well up to that point. Fennell has a sense of humour, she casts (smartly) against type and shows empathy for everyone, even the villains. Self-preservation is a strong instinct, after all, and putting yourself in the shoes of even someone who did something horrible can be necessary to understand the entire situation. Fennell's Oscar-winning script provides no easy answers. And the sensational Carey Mulligan isn't exactly a hero in this. She's this movie's Batman, channeling her rage and courting death as she exacts justice by essentially turning into a terrorist. This might be the finest performance she's even given. Oh, and she's 5'7", so she's not as short as we thought. Everyone just looks tiny standing next to Bo Burnham. Anyway, our lengthy 507th episode concludes Revenge Month by digging into the many layers of Promising Young Woman.

Get a 20% discount off your next order of Sparkplug Coffee by plugging our "hyes" promo code into the right box. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and get buying!

This #metoo movie might cause you to want to shoot us some feedback. You can email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or try us on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis).

Our full podcasts can also be found on YouTube. Occasionally we post 8 or 10 minutes of bonus content off the top. These shows are available at @hyesellis.

And until June 7th, you can find new podcasts about sports films with Ryan and Chris Di Gregorio. They're under "Scoring At The Movies".

We covered our first Ozu movie earlier this year and our first Mizoguchi review dropped just 3 days ago, so it was way past time to talk about Federico Fellini. The flamboyant Italian made several classics, but 8½ seems to be the favourite for many fellow filmmakers who've followed in his footsteps. This is about as influential as any movie we've discussed in years. It's a director's dream too (sometimes literally), as it's filled with fantasies (good and bad), self-doubt and anxiety. While we raved about the cast and the technical brilliance of Federico's film, we also got into whether or not the movie is aloof and if the dashing Marcello Mastroianni character is sexist...or if Fellini's movie is. In any case, we both respect 8½ more than we love it. So don't pine for an ideal woman, even if she IS Claudia Cardinale. Just fire up the 538th edition of Have You Ever Seen and see what you think of our take on one of the most-revered flicks ever made.

We continue to partner with Sparkplug Coffee. They'll give our listeners a one-time 20% discount if they use our "HYES" promo code. Hit up "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

We invite you to email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or blast a tweet or three our way (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis). We also post all of our podcasts in full on YouTube, Our channel is "@hyesellis". Comment, rate, review, subscribe, etc.

So it's Monty Python then. Holy Grails and all that. You know these guys. They're comedy legends. They're The Beatles of satire. Do we need to say more? Okay, we're not the biggest Python nerds of all time and we criticized over-the-top fandom quite a bit here. Also, the movie peters out in the second half and we (prepare to be appalled) just don't get the Knights Who Say Ni. But, faults aside, this inspired bit of lunacy is still jammed to the coconuts with incredibly big laughs. So GET ON WITH IT because episode #368 is ready for a listenin'.

Well, Actually: We covered Rashomon nearly 3 months ago, not 1 month ago. Also, Swedish for "with" is "med". Also also, Graham Chapman is indeed in The Meaning Of Life.

Our sponsor is Sparkplug Coffee. They won't bring you a shrubbery, but you WILL nab a 20% discount if you use our promo code ("top100project") when it's bill-paying time.

Our website is top100project.com

We are tweetable: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Ryan also talks about sports movies over on Scoring At The Movies

Hero (or "Heroes", as it SHOULD have been called...maybe even "Superheroes") was a ballyhooed Chinese blockbuster that followed in the golden footsteps of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Both are beautiful, lyrical and impressive technically, but Yimou Zhang's cool-as-a-spinning-swordsman opus tops Ang Lee's remarkable accomplishment...from an aesthetic standpoint anyway. We just wished Zhang's story had stuck to our ribs the way Lee's did. Hero is indeed one of the prettiest pictures ever made though. Jet Li and his co-stars are right on point. The non-stop action is great and the flashback structure allows Zhang to feature a tremendous colour palette. So use your billowing sleeves to deflect a flurry of arrows as the 446th Ellises' Analysis chats about Nameless and the namesake of China and their noble co-stars. Oh, you should know that our brief gab would feel better in your ears if you had coffee in your mouth. Sparkplug Coffee offers a 20% discount if you use our promo code ("top100project"). Also, shoot us a tweet (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) before heading over to "Scoring At The Movies" to hear Ryan talk about sports flicks.

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau didn't team up for the first time in The Odd Couple, but it's one of their most-famous collaborations...and certainly one of their funniest. Feminized Lemmon is the sad, neat-freak and alpha-male Matthau is the brash slob. Clash! This begat an unsatisfying sequel 30 years later and many TV series, but the 1968 film was a blockbuster and remains one of the most-beloved "oil and water" comedies ever. Neil Simon adapted his own Broadway hit, then went on to become a writing legend. Gene Saks directed this movie, which is stagy and (not surprisingly for a 55-year-old comedy) a little dated, but those flaws don't ruin this parade of yuks. So don't let everything we do irritate you, even if the Ellises are our very own Oscar and Felix. Just learn to live together and make the 511th rendition of Have You Ever Seen a tidy part of your day.

Our sponsor remains Sparkplug Coffee. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and you'll get a onetime 20% discount by using our "hyes" promo code.

If you want to say something to us, there's email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) and Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis).

Like all of our 2023 efforts, this episode will be posted on YouTube sometime on Monday.

And check out Ryan's chats with Chris Di Gregorio while you still can as we gab about sports flicks on "Scoring At The Movies".

It's the one about Sharry Bobbins! The Next 132 Project gets into all of our complaints about this over-long and plot-flimsy Disney favourite. We just don't have the same enthusiasm critics and crowds do. You can't argue though that it's a beloved musical with top-shelf songs and a lovely debut performance by Julie Andrews. Bev has thoughts about how this movie commits the sin of crossing class lines (horrors!) and she's also got some wacky drug theories. Although maybe it's not so wacky...this WAS the '60s. So gear up for Mary Poppins Returns later this week spit spot by ordering some Sparkplug Coffee and listening to our gibby gab. If you want a discount from Sparkplug, enter "top100project" at check-out to save yourself 10% on the order.

A racism movie that’s masquerading as a math movie isn’t a well-worn genre, but Hidden Figures would be an excellent template if such a genre ever took off. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae are a terrific team playing 3 brilliant black women at NASA in this true story. Theodore Melfi’s finest film handles race relations in far less clumsy ways than other recent cracks at the complex subject (cough cough Green Book). We addressed the suggestion that Kevin Costner is playing a white saviour and we obviously dug into all the racism…ie. the stupidly self-defeating practice of shunning people just because they’re different from you. So saunter off to the washroom with your notebooks several times a day, but make sure our 379th episode is cooing in your ears on the way.

Allow your co-workers to bring you a well-deserved cup of java and make it Sparkplug Coffee. Our longtime sponsors will throw a 20% discount your way too. All you have to do is use our discount code (“top100project”) at checkout.

Twitter? We’re already there! We’re @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also has a sports movie podcast over on Scoring At The Movies

Gabourey Sidibe's debut and Mo'Nique's outstanding performance (which won her a gold naked guy) are easily the highlights of the character study that is the subject of the Next 170 Project. Neither of those actresses has been cast much since (we discuss some of the reasons why), but they’ll be hard-pressed to ever surpass what they did here anyway. Lee Daniels’ 2nd film is certainly his best work behind the bullhorn and Geoffrey Fletcher took home an Oscar for his rock-solid script. They can all thank thenovelPushbySapphire, although neither of the 2 Oscar-winners actually mentioned Sapphire during their speeches. Huh. Anyway, this movie isn’t easy to watch, but there’s some really meaningful stuff going on as we get a rare glimpse into the rough lives of poor, black women.

Sparkplug Coffee is a fine answer to the question of what goes well with pigs feet ‘n’ fried chicken. The Sparkers continue to offer a 20% discount if you are willing to type in “top100project” as your promo code at check-out.

For The Record: Oprah's 4 impediments to making it in show biz are that she was black, overweight, poor and a woman. Also, there were 10 Best Picture nominees in 2009 (the 1st year they expanded it from the previously standard 5). We mentioned 5 of the noms, but also there was Up, The Blind Side, District 9, A Serious Man and An Education.

Twitter monkeys, you can monkey us: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website: www.top100project.com

Next week, we'll review Three Kings

Ryan talked alone about the classic slasher flick Halloween on Monday. The solo episode this time gets into the business of one of its offshoots...Friday The 13th. In fact, all 12 of the Fridays are discussed here, so this is not a traditional review of one particular film. Iconic mass murderer Jason Voorhees---and his mother before him---successfully killed people at the cursed Camp Crystal Lake for nearly 30 years...and people kept paying money to see them do it. Even though the first one is a pretty good whodunit, none of these horror shows feel scary anymore...and most of the entries are quite terrible. Yet the unkillable masked maniac endures, almost as an anti-hero. So indulge in a little machete action as you hear about the mute goalie slicing his way through dozens of oblivious teenagers in this 541st edition of Have You Ever Seen.

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Fridays mean Ryan posts monologues on Have You Ever Seen and our 617th episode digs a one-man hole into Pet Sematary. Mary Lambert's 1989 horror show about unholy reanimation keeps on reminding us that "sometimes dead is better". The one who's always saying that, Fred Gwynne, is probably the best actor in this cast, although he's not THAT much better than the underwhelming Dale Midkiff or Denise Crosby. The horror highlights in the last act are excellent though. Pet Sematary also has many links to The Shining, which are 2 of the most-vivid Stephen King books. No, this gore-soaked film isn't close to perfect, but it might chill your blood more than once. So stop listening to the coot who lives across a very dangerous road and start listening to the 617th edition of Have You Ever Seen.

Go to "sparkplug.coffee" to discover the coffee gems they offer. One thing they offer is a onetime 20% discount to those who use our "HYES" promo code, so add "/hyes" to the web address to make that happen.

Anyone wanting to tell us what they think can hit us up on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or fire off an email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Bev is available with that same @ on Threads. Also, rate and review our show on your podcast app. And look for our work on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). We look forward to comments, likes and subscriptions.

The 95th Academy Awards are coming up on Sunday, so it's time for us to break down what was nominated, what we think should win and what we think WILL win gold on March 12th. There might be quite a few newbies going up on stage because most of the actors and directors have never been nominated before. 2022 was a year of underdogs and comebacks, from Brendan Fraser to Ke Huy Quan, but also one in which luminaries like Angela Bassett and Jamie Lee Curtis finally got a real chance to win an Oscar. So download our 496th podcast as we analyze the Year In Puking and the glories that might be ahead for some very-deserving people at this year's Academy Awards.

Get yourself some Sparkplug Coffee to caffeine it up for a long night on the 12th. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and use that "hyes" promo code to save 20% off what you buy.

We would love to hear what you think of this podcast...or any of them. Tweet us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com).

This episode and all our 2023 chats are also on YouTube. The Monday shows always have us on camera for a spell, addressing that movie, talking about new films we've seen, answering listener emails, etc. Ryan has quite a few bonus thoughts about the Oscars, so make sure to go to "hyesellis" in your browser to find this particular show.

And if you want to hear Ryan yammer some more about the flicks, take a look at what's offered in the sports movie realm on "Scoring At The Movies".

Bonus episode! For the first time ever, we've got a timely review of the Oscars and our thoughts about the winners and losers, not just a preview show the week before. Find out what we liked and what we loathed about the big broadcast yesterday.

Coming in August: a review of Green Book.

Twit us: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Bonus episode! We were off yesterday, but couldn’t resist talking today. For the 3rd occasion during these gloomy housebound times, we try to plant a big fat smile (or maybe even 2 and 1/2 big fat smiles) on your face with a fun chat about motion pictures we think you should seek out. We’re also good enough to let you know where you can find them online. The rules: we each have 4 suggestions and we only get 19 words to sell the movie to you. Okay, that “19 words” guideline is very loose. The person making these rules is the person who keeps breaking them. Oh, there are also 11 trivia questions sprinkled between each recommendation, which are all answered at the end. So get extraordinarily comfy and hear us do some “quaranthreening!”

If you do some Twittage type stuff, find us @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Rushmore's got Wes Anderson, Bill Murray and...yeah, Jason Schwartzman. That's a combination that's hit a lot of cinematic home runs and, to many, this was a grand slam. For a second-time filmmaker, this is an undeniably assured movie. Anderson hits a lot of the same character beats here that he does in all his movies and his (team's) production design & costume choices have been called "twee" for well over 20 years now. And that hasn't been a compliment, although we like it, partly for how much heart he brings to everything. Bill worked with Wes for the first time here, which was the beginning of Murray's deadpan acting style. He and Schwartzman obsess over Olivia Williams, so it's a comedy about an immature stalker. Does Schwartzman overdo his over-eagerness though? One of us thinks so. In any case, the 536th episode of Have You Ever Seen suggests you ignore your studies, but join every club you can as we do some dissecting of Rushmore.

This classic movies podcast is sponsored by a classic beverage...Sparkplug Coffee. If you use our "HYES" promo code, you will save 20% off your next order. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Shoot us a message or two...or more...by contacting haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. You can also tweet things at us: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. We also post these chats on YouTube. Our channel is @hyesellis or look for "Have You Ever Seen" in the search part of the 'Tube.

With respect to The Secret In Their Eyes, Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece (?) was the best foreign-language film of 2009. It was probably the best film of 2009, period. This 158th helping of Next 100 Project talkiness is a thorough dive into this weirdly excellent movie, but we sure didn’t cover everything. The layers! Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz (we had trouble pronouncing his name properly) and a wonderful supporting cast elevate QT's one-of-a-kind screenplay. He's been called a rip-off artist, but his talent for creating satisfying revisionist history (not to mention revenge…always revenge with this guy) is something that no rip-off artist could do on their best day. The man is such an original. So enjoy his newest, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, later this week, but first make sure to devour all 67 minutes of this episode. Also, there are several corrections on www.top100project.com, so check those out if you're fuming about our foul-ups.

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We are tweetable: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Next week: Parenthood

We begin our 7th Scary Movie Month with this 461st Ellises' Analysis. Poltergeist is a slow-burn horror show with an insane finale as Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg throw a bunch of angry ghosts at the loving Freeling family. The movie also has a sense of humour to balance out at least some of the trauma these little children go through. Full marks to the cast. Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, the novice actors playing their kids and the adults playing the bizarro ghost chasers all keep it real amidst all the pandemonium. We also talked about this movie's supposed curse, about who really directed it and about whether or not it's actually scary to 2 middle-aged podcasters. So don't dig a pool in the back yard if there are vengeful dead people down there, but DO toss your television out into the hall and then GO INTO THE LIGHT (of your cell phone) as we hash out Poltergeist. As for a good way to keep you up at night, so you can battle the spectral kidnappers hiding in your electronics, order Sparkplug Coffee. You'll get a 20% discount just by using our handy promo code ("top100project"). Also, hit us with some tweets (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), email us (top100projectpodcast@gmail.com) and follow Ryan's other movie podcast, Scoring At The Movies.

Bonus episode! For the 2nd time during the pandemic, we offer up a pithy gab where we give you some ideas about flicks you should let enter your eyeholes during this isolating time. We even tell you where you can find them. Each Ellis has 4 recommendations (using 19 words to sell you the movie, although we cheated a bit here and there) and there are 11 trivia questions as well, giving us a grand total of…19. Bev answered more of the trivia questions than she did in the March 26th episode—who said she got a few hints?!—and maybe those hints will help you too. This continues to be a craptastic time for the whole world, so settle in for a fun listen as we amble into the merry old month o' May.

Well, Actually: Commissioner Gordon calls Batman “a” dark knight at the end of that film, not “the” dark knight. Also, Ryan is @moviefiend51 on Twitter (left off the “51” part) and of course Bev is @bevellisellis.

There have been many “hooker with a heart of gold” movies, but Pretty Woman has to be on the shortlist of the most lovable ones. That’s largely because Julia Roberts is at her very best (a star was born) and Richard Gere is a great match for her. Credit to them and to director Garry Marshall for making millions of people root so hard for a corporate raider and a pro from Hollywood Boulevard to make it work. Bev took issue with Edward being patronizing towards Vivian and she shares stories about men trying too hard to make connections with women (namely…her). But, really, for a 30-year-old flick made mostly by men, this ‘un tries its best to be feminist. So stop fidgeting, cop a squat (or fearlessly climb a fire escape) and pony up 3000 bucks as you enjoy an Ellis-aided getaway from the virus-laden troubles of the real world with the Next 188 Project.

Some thoughts while editing: Edward doesn’t sleep or drink, he lives in New York, he has major daddy issues, he’s obsessed with being rich. He’s just a nicer, sexier Trump! Also, maybe Hector Elizondo’s character is only nice to Vivian and Edward because Eddie is the richest guy in the hotel. Would Mister Lewis be permitted to let a prostitute stay in his hotel room for a week if he was only moderately wealthy?

Well, Actually… It’s Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, not Doctor Higgins. It’s also Colonel Pickering, not Colonel Worthington.

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Twitter? Sure, once in a while. @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Next week, we'll finally do what many others have already done and talk about a timely little virus picture called Contagion

“Persona” is Latin for “mask”, which makes this Age Of The Mask we’ve been experiencing for the past year & a half an ideal time to talk about Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece. Well, it’s one of his MANY masterpieces. Dude could direct. This is a trippy art film that gives us plenty to debate and tear apart. It’s also been imitated half to death in the 55 years since it was made, which is perhaps why it feels just a touch dated. Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann are terrific playing characters who deal with issues of identity, grief, guilt and deep emotional pain. But are the 2 women really just 1 woman who’s experiencing a serious mental crisis? Imaginary friend?! See, very influential. So head to your summer beach house (for the last few days of this summer) and let the 406th Ellises’ Analysis pry its way into your earholes during the trip.

Well, Actually: John Ford was 8th on the Sight & Sound’s 2002 Critics poll of Top 10 Greatest Directors Of All Time, but surprisingly he wasn’t ranked on the Top 10 as chosen by directors. Also, the Bergman movie where he used a spider to represent God is Through A Glass Darkly. Also also, Georges Melies definitely was a film pioneer, but the brothers we were thinking of are the Lumiere Brothers.

Whether you talk too much or whether you don’t talk at all, your day will be much improved by drinking Sparkplug Coffee. You can even keep some money in your pocket because they will give you a 20% discount on your next order. You just have to enter our promo code (“top100project”) when you’re ready to shell out the cash.

To get in touch with us easily, hit the Twits. We’re @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Ryan also has a sports movie podcast, which is Scoring At The Movies

Oscar Month continues! Bev's couple of weeks off begins! She's not here to talk about The King's Speech, which is a classy movie that ended up being a huge hit, even though it's about a group of people that Ryan has never liked: the royals? A monarchy? In a democracy? Yet, credit where it's due, Tom Hooper does an admirable job of making a non-fan care about the king of England and his enunciation---and also Nazi-related---troubles. Colin Firth won gold for his work as the stuttering Prince Albert/King George VI who gets a job he never wanted while his supportive wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and unorthodox speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) are just about his only support system. The King's Speech is often quite touching and it's even inspirational, showing a privileged man have to deal with confidence issues, loneliness, his uncaring fellow royals and duty to his country. So don't storm off in anger. Just tune into the 651st episode of Have You Ever Seen and listen to one man's speech...about a speech.

Well, Actually: while Slumdog Millionaire started the trend of the entire cast & crew in attendance at the Oscars going up on stage when the film wins Best Picture, the entire LOTR: ROTK cast & crew DID go up on stage the year THEY won Best Picture. Also, Helena Bonham Carter plays "Bellatrix Lestrange" in the Harry Potter series, not "Beatrix".

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Subscribe to our podcast in your app, but also write a review and rate our show. We're on YouTube as well (@hyesellis in the search bar), so comment all you wish and stroke the like button.

Send us an email: haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. On the social media sites, Ryan is "@moviefiend51" on Twi-X and "ryan-ellis" on Bluesky. Bev is "@bevellisellis" on Twi-X and "bevellisellis" on Bluesky.

It’s Memorial Day in the United States, but instead of covering a bloody war flick, we decided to talk about the (failed) War On Drugs. Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winner is complicated, complex, even confusing and it’s certainly not afraid to tread a new path with its style and look. The experimental director beautifully balances the 3 main stories in Stephen Gaghan’s script, even if he doesn’t shoot those stories particularly well. Twenty years on, this remains an unappealing-looking picture. Bev took issue with that and also with certain elements of the Catherine Zeta-Jones & Erika Christensen storylines (especially the moralizing). Ryan has to confess to some shoddy memories of Traffic’s great (sometimes deleted) scenes we’ve discussed in prior episodes because they don’t actually exist. (!) The Next 196 Project hacks into all those details in this story of rats & traitors, so settle in for over an hour of our yibber yab about one of the primo drug movies.

Well, Actually: Stephen Mirrione’s name DOES seem to have an “E” sound at the end (rhymes with “baloney”). Also, Requiem For A Dream got ***1/2 from Roger Ebert (not quite ****). Also also, Brian Eno’s song is called “An Ending (Ascent)“.

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Twi-twi-twits? Yup. @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Next week, we exchange thoughts about the crazy Ah-nuld sci-fi action flick Total Recall

Since this 534th episode of Have You Ever Seen hits the airwaves on Labour Day, it felt right to talk about a character who has FOUR different jobs in one movie. Mrs. Doubtfire is a funny film that has...well, to be honest, lost a lot of its comedic zing 30 years on, although the serious scenes still have a lot of emotional sting. This might be the most-personal movie the lovable Robin Williams ever made. He went through not 1 but 2 divorces, he "did voices", he once lived in San Francisco and he probably enjoyed racking up in-character insults at the expense of Mister Perfect Pierce Brosnan. He likely didn't wear elaborate makeup and a body suit to make people believe that he's a stern 60-year-old Englishwoman though. Sally Field doesn't get to have the fun that her "short, furry and funny" co-star does, but she's excellent in the dramatic scenes. So, my dears, avoid a run-by fruiting as Ryan breaks down Chris Columbus' wicked, wicked blockbuster all on his own.

For The Record: we've talked in the past about the fake trailers for "Shining" and "Brokeback To The Future". Well, the fake trailer that turns Mrs. Doubtfire into a horror movie is great too. Look for that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crjYYEC5drA Also, it wasn't made clear that the September 22nd episode will be Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu.

Your best choice to fulfill your java needs, really, is Sparkplug Coffee. Customers who use our "HYES" promo code will save 20% off the next order they make. Where do you go? Why, "sparkplug.coffee/hyes", of course.

New episodes always go up on YouTube. Look for us in your browser (@hyesellis) or put "Have You Ever Seen" into the search bar on the 'Tube. Please give us a thumbs up, write a comment, share, subscribe, all that. And you can also do some of those same things by emailing us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) or Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis).

Fittingly for Labour Day, we're talking about eating the rich and helping out the poor. Even with his butler job in My Man Godfrey though, the suave William Powell isn't exactly Johnny Lunchbox. He gets to wear a tuxedo and work in the ritzy house of a wealthy family of zany idiots. It could be worse. We were overdue to cover a Carole Lombard film, although her committed comic performance is a bit marred by the way they wrote her to be so whiny and annoying. It also doesn't help that she's jamming love down Powell's throat as Gregory La Cava's picture is presenting a romance that's hard to root for. Even if we let the workplace sexual harassment slide, there's that bizarre ending. Nevertheless, it's certainly better than some of the movies from this era that the AFI put on their various lists. So don't sock the 457th Ellises' Analysis for wanting a "protege" and if you must be phony, at least be a good guy as we serve you a podcast about My Man Godfrey on a silver platter. And if you don't like a bunch of pre-dinner martinis, order a mailbox full of Sparkplug Coffee. They'll give you a 20% discount if you use our promo code ("top100project"). We'd also love it if you would rate us and tweet things to us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or email us (top100projectpodcast@gmail.com). Oh, one last thing to promote is that Ryan talks about sports flicker shows on "Scoring At The Movies".

The ultimate in gimmicky puzzle films (in a year that was filled with them) provides our juicy topic for the Next 141 Project. Guy Pearce plays one of the most unreliable narrators in film history and we speculate if he actually has “selective memory syndrome”, rather than bonafide Anterograde Amnesia. Bev has strong feelings about who the real villain of Christopher Nolan’s Memory Movie is and we both claw into the truth about Leonard’s opinion about his condition. Trying to fully grasp this movie is hard work and even repeated viewings don’t answer all your questions...and that’s a plus! So fire up our gum-flap about one of the very best pictures of the first 19 years of this century.

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If you’re looking for a funny satire about identity and 1980s consumerism, then Mary Harron’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ book might be exactly what you’re craving. Or maybe you just want to ogle Christian Bale’s half-naked body in all its perfection. If you did that, at least you’d be noticing the guy, which is more than anyone in the actual film ever does. Despite the good looks, money, clothes & women that Patrick Bateman has, he’s a first-class loser. We gabbed about all the sex & brutal violence in this picture, plus the “what’s real and what might only be a(n American) psychotic fantasy” angle. There’s *ahem* a lot of meat on this bone. Much like Bateman, you’re not doing any work these days, so try your best to fit in by sitting around listening to cheesy music, but also give us 40 minutes of your time to hear our thoughts about American Psycho.

Well, Actually…: Paul Allen thinks Bateman is Marcus Halberstram, not Hammerschmidt. Also, Patrick gets a call from his fiancee when Jean is at his apartment, which might be a big reason he doesn’t go through with killing his loyal secretary.

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Next week, we'll cover something more charming and delightful as we analyze The Purple Rose Of Cairo

Memorial Day is a good time to talk about a war movie, even if the intense Edge Of Tomorrow is almost as witty as it is heart-pounding. The one that's better known as "Live Die Repeat" has a Groundhog Day-esque hook as military hype man Tom Cruise restarts a day every time he dies. Emily Blunt is in "keep up with me" badass mode while Cruise uncharacteristically plays a coward who doesn't have all the answers, but eventually learns (most of) them. Director Doug Liman has built an excellent resume these past 3 decades and he's just about at his best guiding the Edge Of Tomorrow cast and crew through their "let's do it again" paces. Our 592nd episode is ready to airdrop onto the beach to take on the vicious aliens who are determined to take over the planet, so pop your buds into your ears and celebrate the holiday hearing us yap about how the Mimics and the humans of Earth fight in France...over and over again.

Well, Actually: the UDF is the "United Defense Force". Also, for the record, A Quiet Place Day One comes out in late June.

Sparkplug Coffee would go well with your plan-making for Operation Downfall or with a calm podcast-listen here at the end of May. They will give our listeners a 20% discount if they use our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Get in touch with us about this episode or any of our 591 others. To get to us on email, you've got "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". Twi-X handles are @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis. Threads for Bev is that same @. And since we post all of our shows on YouTube (@hyesellis), you can comment there and like and subscribe. You can do some of those things and also rate & review our work on your podcast app too.

Activate Joey mode! The Next 135 Project takes us to Tinytown Indiana as we delve into what makes a staggeringly good man return to his vicious mobster roots. Viggo Mortensen was just hitting his stride at this point in his career (as he was nearing 50 years old) and he leads a terrific cast. Maria Bello, Ed Harrisand William Hurt are all right on point. David Cronenberg’s pictures can be hit or miss, but this pseudo-western is on the short list of his best ever. For a healthy dose of java, go to Sparkplug Coffee and order up what you need/want/crave. Use “top100project” as your promo code and you’ll save 10% off your first order.

We’ve got a special episode for the Next 195 Project as we rave about—yup, the title isn’t lying—our favourite funny films. It’s the will-never-be-topped, locked-in-stone BEST comedies ever (subject to change at a moment’s notice), but we mentioned probably another 200 or 300 flicks on top of those Top 10 beloveds. First, though, you’ll hear us jam about some awesome comedy actors & directors, then we batted around some honourable mentions of terrific flicks full o’ laughter. The phrase “scene-stealer” was used a lot. Take a drink for each one. We also butchered a few classic quotes. Plus, Ryan re-ranks AFI’s Top 10 of their “100 Years, 100 Laughs” list. So get ready to have pleasantly sore cheek muscles as we spend nearly an hour spreading some comic delight all around.

Well, Actually: The producer Tom Cruise is parodying in Tropic Thunder (at least with his wacky appearance) is Stuart Cornfeld, who must be tight with Ben Stiller because they’ve worked together several times.

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Tweet us your thoughts about your favourite filmy chuckles @moviefiend51 and/or @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

We’re off May 18th. On May 25th, we’ll talk about Traffic

One of the most-legendary filmmakers of all time only directed one movie to a Best Picture Oscar…and Rebecca was it. Alfred Hitchcock slickly portrays the brutal treatment of the victimized newlywed Joan Fontaine. She’s a target for everyone in the film, especially a vicious housekeeper played by Judith Anderson and a neglectful and possibly homicidal husband played by Laurence Olivier. But did Hitch enjoy what Fontaine's character goes through...or does he sympathize with her? And just how much of a compromise is the censored version of the unseen title character's fate in this stylish, gothic thriller? So throw the 648th edition of Have You Ever Seen into those holes in the sides of your head as we head to Manderley and whisper about what's going on in Rebecca.

Feel free to write as many memos as you want like the control freak David Selznick used to do, but jotting all those notes down would be aided by sipping Sparkplug Coffee. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and get yourself a 20% discount.

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Respond to us by emailing (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com), tweeting (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or Blueskying (ryan-ellis and bevellisellis). 

While not a classic, Mogambo has a lot going for it. They took the production to several countries in Africa to get authentic scenery for this passionate love story. Big stars like Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly do the love triangle thing and John Ford (who had just won his 4th Oscar) is their director. And what these legends of cinema made 70+ years ago is fine. It's just far from marvelous. Gable alternates his romantic interest between Gardner & Kelly, which isn't logical. Anyway, Ryan is on his own again in this 571st episode of Have You Ever Seen, so journey to various parts of Africa---when you're not shooting in front of projection screens in the comfort of a studio, that is---as Mogambo gets a reviewin'.

Programming note: All The King's Men will not be the episode on March 22nd. What WILL be discussed is still being considered.

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Getting in touch with us is always welcomed...during the last few days of "Love In A Word" Month or anytime. Ryan's Twi-x handle is @moviefiend51. Bev's is @bevellisellis, which is also how you can contact her on Threads. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com". And we post all of our shows on YouTube. The browser destination for that is "@hyesellis". Rate and review us there or on your podcast app. Subscribe, like, share...spread the word.

So Ferris Bueller plays White Saviour to a bunch of courageous, black, Civil War soldiers in the Next 151 Project. And, against the odds, it really works. This remains a powerful film 30 years on, especially when the focus shifts (at least somewhat) from Matthew Broderick to Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and friends. Broderick (and the man he portrays, Colonel Shaw) might be in over his head, but that benefits the character and the movie. It’s a flicker show filled with great moments and exceptional battle scenes. Ed Zwick has directed a few underrated motion pics, but his Civil War opus is his most-meaningful accomplishment.

Nab some Sparkplug Coffee ASAP. That 10% discount is still applicable. Just toss in “top100project” at check-out.

To flap your tongue at us, try @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Next week: Men In Black

And so we've reached 500 episodes! We started this podcast 10 years ago with the goal of analyzing the AFI's Top 100 Lists, so what better way for us to celebrate a landmark episode than to do...a list! And it's with a flourish as we post a king-sized chat about the greatest Best Picture Oscar winners. We each pulled 10 classic Oscar champions out of a box and did a brief review of them, telling you why they're worthy of enshrinement in Awesometown. Then we took exception to a handful of winners throughout the years that were inferior to something else that was nominated against it, but didn't win. This show about The Best Best Pictures is one of the best podcasts we've ever done, so get comfy and listen to us rave about those that won gold.

Well, Actually: The Exorcist came out the day AFTER Christmas, not on Christmas Day itself the way The Sting did. Also, it should be noted that Jodie Foster DOES say in The Silence Of The Lambs that transgender people are typically very docile, not psychopathic killers. 

If you like 20% discounts on great drinkables, then you'll be gunned about going to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". That "hyes" promo code will indeed snag you some savings the next time you make an order.

This podcast is also on YouTube. Go to @hyesellis to find (most of) our 2023 episodes. The Monday shows tend to include 8 to 12 minutes of on-camera content of us talking about the movie of the week, highlighting recent films we've seen and responding to listener feedback.

To get in touch with us, shoot us a tweet or two (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) or email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com).

And to hear Ryan yammer on about motion pictures that are all about sports, check out "Scoring At The Movies".

Reviewing She Done Him Wrong was simply a ploy to finally talk about Mae West. She was a major star nearly 100 years ago and is considered an icon. This was her story idea and the film came out just before the Hays Code would prevent so many sexy outfits and double entendres to fill a movie. Ryan's monologue here focuses on how the film doesn't work because director Lowell Sherman couldn't balance the tone, plus the movie just isn't funny. There's also way too much going on in a 64-minute film and there's certainly not enough Cary Grant. And here's an unpopular opinion: Mae West is a legend who doesn't deserve to be. Sure, she's sassy and eye-catching in this, but her character is one-note and the actress apparently had no range at all. So slide into the 488th episode of Have You Ever Seen as She Done Him Wrong gets ripped into a time or twelve.

This podcast is sponsored by Sparkplug Coffee, which will give you a 20% discount if you use our "hyes" promo code. Go to sparkplug.coffee/hyes. Also, find us on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com) and plug @hyesellis into your browser to see what we've got cooking on YouTube. All our 2023 eps are on there, with bonus content of us on camera for the Monday shows. And if you want to listen to a sports-movie podcast, Ryan talks to Chris Di Gregorio about athletics on "Scoring At The Movies".

Happy Halloween! Scary Movie Month comes to an end with this 622nd edition of Have You Ever Seen. No, this episode isn't about George Romero's 1978 zombie classic where humans hole up in a mall. Ryan's 3rd solo show in 3 days is about Zack Snyder's intense 2004 remake. The original had plenty of blood, guts and thrills, but also a lot of satire. This has even more gore, better acting and action scenes that are even cooler. Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames lead a not-remarkably-famous cast, most of whom DO hold their own and give us a few more emotional moments than you might expect in an action/horror movie. Jake Weber and the scene-stealing Michael Kelly are the standouts. So be one of the last of the Mall-hicans as this monologue grabs the car keys, hits the gas and races away from the undead in an apocalyptic Milwaukee.

Before you go out with the kids trick-or-treating, gulp down some coffee to give you a boost. Sparkplug Coffee is the ticket! They offer our listeners a 20% discount just by using our "HYES" promo code (onetime only though). The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Rate and review our podcast on your app. Subscribe to us too! Email us (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). Follow us on Twi-X (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis...or find Bev under that same @ on Threads). Discover us on YouTube (@hyesellis in your browser). Comment, like the show, subscribe to us as well.

August is the perfect time to jam about an R-rated animated musical that remains funny, smart and controversial 21 years after it was released. Trey Parker & Matt Stone’s South Park movie is as far from a Disney picture as it gets, but it’s also about as meta as it gets. There’s clever text AND clever subtext here. It’s also more than happy to rag on political correctness while not being at all politically correct itself. Some things haven’t aged very well though. Woke people won’t be happy. Sometimes Parker & Stone go too far, but their tale about the Colorado kids is filled with more sharp satire than just about any other movie you’ll see. And those songs! There are more than a half-dozen stupendous tunes in this. So get a homeless guy to pay for 4 tickets so you can punch the play button on the 356th episode of The Ellises’ Analysis, m’kay.

Well, Actually: Marc Shaiman’s name should be pronounced “shay-man”, not “shy-man”. Also, the Columbine shootings happened on April 20th, so the school year still had about 2 months to go. Also also, Scary Movie 2 had a hard R rating (it certainly wasn’t PG or PG-13). And finally, what’s censored in “Blame Canada” at the Oscars is not the line about Anne Murray, it’s “now when he sees me he tells to [blank] myself”.

Sparkplug Coffee, you uncle…lovers. You gotta get some! Ryan’s cousin Brett “Cartman” Huether is back and he’ll give you all the deets, one of which is that Sparkplug offers a 20% discount for those who use the “top100project” promo code at checkout.

We Tweet…occasionally! We're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Our website is top100project.com

Next week, we go back to 8th century Japan and talk about lying & morality in Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon.

The whole point of Dangerous Liaisons is to give us terrible people doing horrible things just because they can, so it's not beyond our control to make such delicious savagery our 493rd episode. Stephen Frears' cast ranges from phenomenal to, well, a bit mediocre. However, Christopher Hampton's extraordinary adaptation of his own play that started life as a French play about French characters gives us some of the best dialogue we've heard in a while...even if most of it is delivered by Americans. Deceitful Glenn Close makes the very most of her limited screen time and Michelle Pfeiffer vibrates with vulnerability, but this movie is John Malkovich's. He's very effective as a great seducer, even if he's a little miscast. So look sadly in a mirror and remove your makeup as Have You Ever Seen sifts through the many strengths and the occasional weaknesses of Dangerous Liaisons.

Our sponsor is Sparkplug Coffee. Go to "sparkplug.coffee.hyes" and then you can save 20% off your next order by using our "hyes" promo code. As for contacting us, there's Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) and email (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com). We post all of our 2023 shows with on-camera scenes on YouTube (@hyesellis) and Ryan also discusses sports flicks on "Scoring At The Movies".

Luis Bunuel was a master director who was often ahead of his time. This isn't the only surreal movie he made, although it isn't always easy to figure out what's real and what's fantasy in this case. In fact, Belle De Jour had us questioning if ANY of this often-masochistic story is real. It's a difficult one to unravel because there's the forward-thinking focus on Catherine Deneuve's sexual empowerment, but the movie also feels like a relic of the old days when men did what they wanted to do to women. Either way, Belle De Jour is an undisputedly creative French flick that somehow found a way to feature plenty of sex without actually showing any. So let your freak flag fly at full mast as we talk about forbidden desires, daytime brothels, cuckolding and so much more in the 438th Ellises' Analysis. Oh, and don't you dare forget to indulge your coffee-tooth by buying a load of Sparkplug Coffee (a 20% discount is yours by typing in "top100project") and also tweet us (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis), plus you have even more podcast options where Ryan talks about sports films on "Scoring At The Movies".

Todd Haynes’ sensitive, personal and deliberately paced drama was Bev’s #1 movie of 2015. She’s got good taste. It’s a quietly beautiful character study of two lesbian lovers who weren’t allowed to be themselves in 1950s America. The great Cate Blanchett is dynamite in the title role, but this project belongs to Rooney Mara’s character (who is compelling too). The film truly puts you in the time and place with its wonderful production design, costumes and music. So don’t be a Harge. Just buck society’s expectations once in a while, but don’t buck our suggestion that you give our 358th episode a long listen (or just one look and you’ll fall so huh-uh-arrrrrrrd in love…).

Well, Actually: Same-sex marriage was legalized in America in 2015, so it was 11 years after it had been a wedge issue in the 2004 presidential campaign.

Road trips with your forbidden lover can only be made better by taking along some Sparkplug Coffee. If you crush on snagging a 20% discount, you can get one by entering our promo code (“top100project”) at checkout.

Our website is top100project.com

Do some twittering: @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

Next week we'll pull all the loose threads on The Godfather Part III

All of our February podcasts will be about romantic/passionate films with one-word titles...and we begin "Love In A Word Month" with a chat about Arthur. Steve Gordon's blockbuster comedy was the rare laughy performance that won an Oscar. John Gielgud took it home for what is the funniest role in the movie. Dudley Moore, on the other hand, cackles at every joke he makes when he's drunk, although at least he's actually sweet when he's not playing it blitzed. Liza Minnelli brings a lot of sass to this male-dominated yuckfest as Moore's love interest. She has chemistry with the other 2 guys. It's just that we wish we'd laughed a lot more often and---while the violent climax at the wedding is amusing---the last 5 minutes of the movie are dreadfully unearned. It was a bad ending to what was already a flawed story. So alert the media that our 567th tall glass of Have You Ever Seen is rather critical of Arthur.

Chase away your blistering hangover with some Sparkplug Coffee. You'll get a 20% discount by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes".

Interact with us on social media (@moviefiend51 for Ryan and @bevellisellis for Bev on Twi-x, plus Bev is @bevellisellis on Threads), email ("haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com") or by commenting on our YouTube page (@hyesellis). You can rate, like, subscribe to us on the 'Tube and/or on your podcast app.