More Movies Please! (Steven Reyes & Sean Anderson)
Explore every episode of More Movies Please!
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Nov 2020 | I Heart Huckabees | 00:45:09 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean have hired some existential detectives to help solve the mysteries that are plaguing them in the David O. Russell film from 2004, I Heart Huckabees. Did you know that Shania Twain hates mayo? Like, totally hates it. Can’t eat a single bit of it. She can’t have a chicken salad at all. Be prepared to move out of the way if you ever give her any because she’s going to be throwing up all over you the next moment. We give her tuna fish sandwiches instead, but she’s not buying it. So we tell her we’re allergic to mayo (a total lie, by the way) and eat a couple of them to make her feel better. She eats one and a half of them—one and a half!—before realizing… they’re chicken salad. Mayo aside, we’re talking about a movie that’s got some real depth and layers to it. Albert Markovski goes to see a husband and wife team of existential detectives because he’s been having some peculiar coincidences that he just can’t figure out. They’re driving him a little batty! Not to mention he’s having difficulties at work because some punk named Brad Stand is basically trying to take over his environmental non-profit. He gets teamed up with a disaffected fireman to help him figure out the cause of his troubles. There’s a… well, there’s a lot of heady stuff that goes on with this film. How can someone condense it all into this meager space in the show notes of a podcast episode? Instead, I want to tell you this story about Shania Twain and chicken salad sandwiches. Did you know she hates them? She can’t eat mayo. No mayo! This is an interesting film in David O. Russell’s oeuvre. It’s the last film he made that could be considered a straight-up comedy (so far), and yet it’s a peculiar one. It’s unique and eccentric. Then he went off and did heavy as hell things like The Fighter and American Hustle. It’s a fun one, though. It flew way under the radar when it came out, so it’s been overlooked by many. It evolves into a story with real emotion and consequences as its running time progresses. By the end of it, you’ll probably find yourself asking what exactly does everything mean? Oh, and did we ever tell you about the Shania Twain-mayo story? (Recorded on September 21, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: I Heart Huckabees trailer - YouTube Chutes Too Narrow | The Shins - Wikipedia Hunt for the Wilderpeople - IMDb | |||
| 24 May 2021 | The Sisters Brothers | 00:49:22 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are panning for gold and accidentally killing our new compatriots with this week’s 2018 film from Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers. Yes, the Sisters brothers. Yes, they get it all the time. They’ve heard all the jokes, and you really shouldn’t try to… Look, we’re just saying that these fellas are violent and they live in a violent time. Maybe making fun of their silly last name isn’t the best idea. Don’t you think? People in this film keep trying to kill them, but those same people always end up riddled with bullets. I think it’s safe to say that you’re not a better shot than they are, and they will take… you… out. Now that we’ve gotten the ubiquitous, don’t-mess-with-these-boys warning out of the way, let’s talk about the film. As with so much else, everything that happens in this one comes down to insatiable greed. I can’t blame anybody. Who wouldn’t want to fill their old-timey satchels with armloads of shiny gold nuggets? Not I! Give me all the riches I can carry! Therein lies the rub: the hungry quest for riches beyond your wildest dreams is going to make you paranoid, sloppy, and downright mean. You’re not going to be your best self when you’re on the hunt for money. Heck, happened to Humphrey Bogart’s character in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. We all saw how that one turned out. Instead of losing yourself to an idealized vision of a possible future, why not learn to appreciate what you have in the present? For Charlie Sisters, he had to learn that his brother, Eli, was not the ungrateful killjoy he appeared. For Eli, he had to understand that his brother may end up being the death of him, but who better to go out with than the brother you love more than anything? That’s the surprising lesson to this bloody, frenzied story: your family, whether it be by blood or by choice, should be appreciated, cared for, and loved. They’re going to be there for you through all of the hellish tribulations you may suffer through. They’re going to forgive you, even when you find it impossible to forgive yourself. They’re going to see the real value in you, even when you can’t see it yourself. Ain’t that just so damn wholesome, coming from a movie that opens with a pair of brothers who ruthlessly murder a whole mess of people in the opening minutes? (Recorded on April 05, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Sisters Brothers trailer - YouTube The “through the trees” shot Steven referenced - Filmgrab The top-down shot that Sean referenced - Filmgrab Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - IMDb | |||
| 07 Dec 2020 | The Night Before | 00:52:41 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are kicking off the holidays with hilarity and cheer! We’re giving our beloved Christmas traditions one final hurrah before having to accept that we’re old adults now in the 2015 film from Jonathan Levine, The Night Before. Right off the bat, I need to make clear that you should not, under any circumstances, do anything that Seth Rogen did in this film. I mean, who in the world takes that many drugs before a night out on the town with your three best friends? A bit of drugs seems handleable, but dude was not doing so well. Let this be a lesson to you, kids: enjoy your drugs responsibly, and please don’t vomit in the middle of any churches on Christmas Eve. You’ll make Baby Jesus sad. Nah, what you should do is spend time with your good buddies. I mean, that’s what the holidays are really all about, yeah? Spending time with the ones you love, eating some delicious cookies, and going all out getting to the completely kick-ass Nutcracker Ball that you’ve been dying to find for years. Seriously, be like Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s friends in this one. Sure, they were pretty danged selfish about their own messy lives, but they got him to the party by the end, and they had a memorable time doing it, too. If you don’t make the time and effort to be a pal, then you could very well miss two of the most important things a human being could experience:
Otherwise, it could just slip through your fingers and then you’ll be stuck with an aimless, sad sack of a man who spends all his time pining for the woman he couldn’t hold on to. Nobody wants that to happen. Be the best friend ever and make the holidays this year worth celebrating! (Recorded on October 12, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Night Before trailer - YouTube Grady Twins | Stephen King Wiki - Fandom Playing the Piano Scene | Big - YouTube A Christmas Carol - South Coast Repertory | |||
| 28 Sep 2020 | Hamilton | 00:55:28 | |
Let me ask you one simple question: are you going to throw away your shot at listening to a podcast episode featuring an amazing movie about a certain somebody named… Alexander Hamilton? I sure as heck hope not! We’re wrapping up our entire month of musicals with the captivating, rapturous 2020 film by Thomas Kail, Hamilton. Boy, what a doozy this one is. From his humble beginnings all the way to his gruesome demise, Alexander Hamilton shows us what it takes to not only be a person who holds their convictions most dear, but also form an entire freaking nation. He’s dedicated. He’s a dreamer. He… has some serious flaws. We’ve all got the honor of seeing his life dramatized in one of the most invigorating and electrifying stage plays that’s ever been made. Seriously, if you walk away from this movie without a stirring of intense emotion, then you should watch it again because you probably missed something important. There’s a reason why it’s one of the most successful Broadway shows ever, and that reason is on full display here. If you haven’t already, then sign up for Disney+ and watch it. This is a deep movie about an important man’s entire life. There’s far too much to recount in the show notes of a podcast. Stop reading this and just listen to the episode already! (Recorded on July 30, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Alexander Hamilton - Wikipedia This is a pretty decent primer on this historical figure. There are many books that have been written about him, and you should probably read those too, but this is a good start. Alexander Hamilton | Ron Chernow - Goodreads Motion Picture Association film rating system - Wikipedia Today's MPAA Ratings Hold Little Value for Parents - WIRED Pantages Theatre - Broadway in Hollywood Segerstrom Center for the Arts Barn doors (light modifier) - Photokonnexion Why Movie Posters All Look the Same - The Wrap Seriously, all posters look the same and they all tend to use blue and orange colors. Alexander Hamilton's Complicated Relationship to Slavery - History | |||
| 22 Jun 2020 | Prisoners | 01:00:29 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are doing some very morally and legally questionable things to Paul Dano in the mysterious Denis Villeneuve drama, Prisoners. If it’s not clear by now, we kinda really super duper love Denis Villeneuve’s work. We started with Enemy, hit up Sicario, and are continuing our apparent series of emotionally tense and dramatic films with Prisoners. To call us shell-shocked by this point would be an understatement. Before getting into the film we’re supposed to be talking about, we end up walking down a long, reptile-filled road and discussing the clearly inimitable Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie series. Will they become part of a future b-movie extravaganza? Will we try to watch them all for a single podcast episode? Will we go crazy in the process? Tune in later to find out! Back to Prisoners… This film is a tough one to get through, we’ll say that upfront. It’s about what people are willing to go through and do in the face of extreme concern and agony. It brings up interesting questions about your personal morality. If your child was kidnapped, what lengths would you go to find them? We find out that there are lengths that some people are more than willing to travel down than others. In the midst of all the tension and torture, there’s a fascinating mystery swirling around at the center of this film. Who was it that took the children? What do all those mazes mean? Who are all these other creepy dudes in the film? It’s fascinating to see a master filmmaker slowly peel away the layers of a complex case. If you want a stellar example of a police procedural, then Prisoners is for you. Much like every other Denis Villeneuve film, Prisoners had a level of sound design and scoring that is second to none. This film was made by someone who really values how a film can affect a viewer, indeed how it can chill you to the core. In another Oscar-nominated role, Roger Deakins knocks the cinematography out of the park with this one. We can’t recall a moment that wasn’t bathed in rainy grayness. His mastery of lighting, framing, and camera movement is a thrill to witness. As we wrap this description up we want to ask, why the hell hasn’t Jake Gyllenhaal won an Oscar yet? In fact, why didn’t all of the actors in this movie win Oscars? They were incredible. Get back to us about this major oversight, Academy. (Recorded on May 6, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - IMDb Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze - IMDb Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - IMDb The nine circles of hell - Wikipedia How to Report a Missing Person - Lifehacker Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - IMDb | |||
| 21 Feb 2022 | Spaceballs | 00:39:20 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are using the Schwartz, rescuing a princess, and taking down the biggest small baddie in the galaxy in the 1987 film from Mel Brooks, Spaceballs. Dark Helmet is on an unstoppable rampage in his quest to steal all of that delicious air from Planet Druidia. There’s only one space bandit who can stop him and rescue the beautiful Princess Vespa in the process. That man is Lone Starr. Oh, and his trusty dog-man companion/probably sometimes the actual brains of the outfit, Barf. Can’t leave home without him! Faced with nearly insurmountable odds, our intrepid pair of heroes learn what it takes to become true space-wizards (or whatever the hell Jedi actually are). It’s the Hero’s Journey here, folks! We’ve got definite story beats to make along the way to saving the world. There’s also the matter of a massive debt to paid off, so they can’t go in unprepared. But Dark Helmet is no pushover. He’s going to make the mission as difficult as possible. There will be a battle the likes of which this or any other galaxy has ever seen. It’s going to be one heck of a hilarious ride. (Recorded on February 2, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - IMDb 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - IMDb X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - IMDb Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) - IMDb Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) - IMDb | |||
| 25 May 2020 | The Shape of Water | 00:41:26 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are talking about true fish love in the crazy gorgeous Guillermo del Toro film, The Shape of Water. If you had told us years ago that not only would a movie about a woman falling deeply in love with a mythical, god-like fish-man would win the freaking Best Picture Oscar, but that we’d also be talking about how much we loved it, we would have thought you were crazy. Like really cuckoo bananas. But here we are. We open things up by gushing about our appreciation for the director, Guillermo del Toro. His love for filmmaking and the way he sees the world is remarkable. It’s clear that what’s inside his head is like an adult playground, complete with scary monsters, breathtaking landscapes, and exceptional heroes. From Cronos to Pan’s Labyrinth to The Shape of Water, he’s showing that there’s no one else doing work at this elevated level. What follows is a discussion all about the diverse characters in this movie and the world they inhabit. Why does Sally Field pine so much for the Amphibian Man? Why is Michael Shannon such a raging asshole? When can we hang out with Octavia Spencer (because she’s just the very best)? And boy, can you certainly fill up an entire bathroom with water to set the mood for some good ol’ fish sex. The world that was created in The Shape of Water is something that’s never been done before. We loved this movie. It’s imaginative, beautiful filmmaking that deserves to be seen by everyone. Also, Steven is 100% going to pun jail. (Recorded on April 8, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Shape of Water trailer - YouTube Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army - IMDb Give a piece of the score a listen. We’re confident you’ll agree that there’s a good reason why Alexandre Desplat won an Oscar for his work here. Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 | |||
| 20 Jul 2020 | Our Top 5 Favorite Movies, Part 2 | 00:58:12 | |
Get your ears ready for some goodness because we’ve got part two of Our Top 5 Favorite Movies mini-series zooming its way to you right now! You felt with us through Seven Pounds, you laughed with us through The Grand Budapest Hotel, and now it’s time to feel some feelings as we launch into another pair of amazing films. This time we’re talking about some especially meaningful and important films in our lives. If part one of this series was the appetizer, then now we’re starting to get into the main course. First up, we’ve got the second of Steven’s picks: Bella. This is a criminally under-watched film, which is frustrating since it’s been out since 2008 and is super great. That’s so many years and still, there are loads of people who haven’t seen it. Sean’s extra glad that Steven had him watch it as one of his top picks. Now they can both spread the word about this unique, heartwarming, and deep film about family and redemption. Following Bella is the 2010 movie, Beginners. Gosh, what a touching and heartfelt film this one is. Not only is it one of Sean’s most treasured films of all time, it’s now the same for Steven. From its rollercoaster story of love between two people to its ridiculously charming dog and all the way to its bittersweet, beautiful father-son relationship, this film is absolutely worth a watch. This is another episode of a series that we’ve been beyond thrilled to get out into the world. We believe more people need to see the films we’re talking about, so consider this episode our very strong recommendation for these films. Get into it and tune in again for part 3! (Recorded on March 5, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: About Us | More Movies Please! - Apple Podcasts Give this one a listen for extra context around some of the family topics we bring up throughout this episode. Let’s talk about Toy Story & Pixar | More Movies Please! - Apple Podcasts Follow Us: | |||
| 22 Nov 2021 | The Nice Guys | 00:38:34 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are hot on the trail of crime, corruption, and risqué filmmakers in the 2016 film from Shane Black, The Nice Guys. There’s something foul in the air, and it may just be the entire city of Los Angeles. Oh, and also murder. Private eyes Holland March and Jackson Healy are working together on the case. Not because they want to be, but more because coincidental circumstances, and some broken bones, have forced them together. The result is something like what you’d get if you turned Diet Coke and Mentos into a couple of detectives. They’re both pretty satisfying (and occasionally inept) apart from each other, but put them together and you’ve got an explosive combination. Much like all great, pulpy detective stories, this film’s got more going on underneath its surface than it seems at first. What starts as an investigation into the apparent suicide of pornstar, Misty Mountains, leads March and Healy into a seedy world of porn producers, corrupt automakers, and murder. Like all amazing Shane Black films, this one’s a buddy action-comedy that’ll stick with you for a long time. He doesn’t have to prove his bona fides to anybody by this point. He’s still more than happy to add more excellent storytelling to his already impressive résumé. (Recorded on October 08, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Nice Guys trailer - YouTube Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - IMDb Friends (TV Series 1994–2004) - IMDb Community (TV Series 2009–2015) - IMDb Final Destination 5 (2011) - IMDb Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019) - IMDb Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) - IMDb | |||
| 01 Feb 2021 | The Hunt for Red October | 00:44:29 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are on the trail of a potential underwater madman. We’re trying to avoid nuclear catastrophe in a tense race against time with the 1990 film from John McTiernan, The Hunt for Red October. What a way to kick off the ‘90s, right? This is a suspenseful film about a Soviet Union submarine captain trying to defect because his country was responsible for the death of his wife. This is no easy task to accomplish, especially in 1984, when this story is set. International relations between the U.S. and the Soviets was strained, to say the least. We’ve got a defecting captain and a two warring sides who don’t really know what the hell is going on with this man’s sub. Is he going to attack the U.S.? Is he trying to screw over the Soviets by giving up all their closely held secrets? Either way, Marko Ramius, played by peak-awesomeness Sean Connery, is in a tough position. This guy just wants to make it to safety alive, and he does it with such a calm, debonair attitude. “Oh, these subs are firing torpedoes at my sub? Ain’t no thang, we’ll just juke out these explosive life-enders and keep going on our merry way.” If I could learn how to keep as calm as he does under intense pressure, I’d probably be able to do anything. This is the first Jack Ryan movie, and it’s amazing. It set the standard for films starring relatively unassuming office workers who find themselves trying to save the world. A young Alec Baldwin stars as Ryan, a stable counterpart to Ramius. The confidence these two men possess is needed in a film that’s chock-full of other people who are just freaking the hell out all the time. It all makes for a compelling and exciting film that holds up and will continue to be an excellent film. The technology we see here is certainly obsolete, but a superb film doesn’t stop being great just because we have iPhones now. This one is top-notch and you’d do yourself a favor to see it. (Recorded on December 14, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Hunt for Red October - IMDb The Hunt for Red October trailer - IMDb (What do you know, Clancy didn’t have a military career. Dude apparently had truly terrible eyesight. Minus one podcast point for Sean who said he did.) Jack Ryan (character) - Wikipedia Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - IMDb The resolution war: is cinema falling behind home entertainment on innovation? - Screen Daily Jack Ryan (film series) - Wikipedia | |||
| 06 Sep 2021 | Clueless | 00:51:19 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are reliving our youthful ‘90s years with a very special guest in the 1995 film from Amy Heckerling, Clueless. We’re delighted to be joined by a new friend of the show, Corey Grosklos, a.k.a. Mr. Big Daddy. For a special guest episode, would we ever dare watch a film that didn’t provide a completely good time for all to be had? As if! Nah, instead we’re going to watch a movie that’s somehow both timeless and also firmly stuck in the ‘90s. How it manages that great feat is what makes this one so magical. You could probably blame its source material for that. To be honest, I’ve not ever read Emma, by Jane Austen, but I do know that it’s also a timeless and inspirational story. Heck, they keep making movies based on its story, so it was no surprise to any of us when we ended up having a damn good time while watching Cher try to make it through high school. She is super-rich, though, and that never hurts anything. I’d be willing to bet that my high school years would have been a little less stressful if my parents were super-rich. Heck, my current life would be a whole lot easier if that was the case. Do any rich people reading these show notes want to adopt an endearing and loving podcaster/podcast show notes writer? I promise to be as pleasant and bubbly as Cher. Since that’s probably not going to happen, I’ll just say that you owe it to yourself to give this film a watch, even if you’ve already seen it before. Don’t fall for the trap of being too influenced by the film’s marketing materials. Sure, these characters all speak with heavy Valley Girl accents, but that really shouldn’t be enough to turn you away. There’s a kind of innocence to this film. It’ll make you feel happy and keep you that way. (Recorded on July 12, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: '90s Fashion Trends That Are Finally Coming Back In Style - The List Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - IMDb | |||
| 15 Nov 2021 | Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard | 00:51:51 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are engaged in a knock ‘em out, shoot ‘em up, love ‘em all day long hitman double feature with the Patrick Hughes movies from 2017 and 2021 respectively, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife. I have a question for the universe: did Ryan Reynolds do something to director Patrick Hughes? Did he steal some of that man’s money? Insult his dog? Hit on his wife? Pee on his front lawn? Did he do something terrible to this man, for which he’s now being punished? Because he sure gets beat the hell up throughout both of these films, and to the point where a person can start to wonder things about Reynolds’s character. There’s only so much a human body can take. I think we’re all witnessing that here. It’s either that or Patrick Hughes is some kind of sick sadist and we’re all witnessing him get his kicks with these films. You earn enough pull in Hollywood and they’ll pretty much let you do anything. Money is a powerful motivator, you know. I don’t mean to disparage anybody or their personal lives, but these questions need to be asked. We have the health of one of this world’s greatest living Canadian actors on the line here, people! I just don’t know if his body will be able to make it through a third installment of the “Let’s See How Much a Person Can Take before Their Heart Stops” series of films! But anyway, here is our chat about these two films. We had very divisive views on these things. I’m going to donate to the Save Ryan Reynolds charity now. (Recorded on September 24, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Hitman’s Bodyguard - YouTube Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard - IMDb Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard trailer - YouTube The Last Airbender (2010) - IMDb Monty Python’s Flying Circus (TV Series 1969–1974) - IMDb Robin Sparkles | How I Met Your Mother Wiki - Fandom Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV Series 2013–2021) - IMDb Léon: The Professional (1994) - IMDb | |||
| 31 May 2021 | In a Valley of Violence | 00:44:52 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are throwing down at high noon in a town called Denton in Ti West’s film from 2016, In a Valley of Violence. I’ve got to ask, what the hell is with all these revenge films that find their instigating moment with the death of a poor, sweet dog? What did Daisy ever do to you, creators of John Wick? What did Abby ever do to you, makers of this film? Why do you have to go killing our innocent, fuzzy friends? Come up with a better idea! I see no need for it! There, I’m putting my foot down on this one. There’s no need for any more dog killing in films. This has just got to stop. I get that it tugs at the heartstrings of any viewer, but why? Just why? Surely, there are other ways to motivate people to get revenge. You just need to try harder, you damn screenwriters. Is it an effective motivator for the “hero” of this film, the tersely named Paul? You bet your ass it is. He may be no legendary killing machine like John Wick is, but he sure knows how to exact revenge on all who dare wrong him. The dude knows how to fire a gun, and he’s got his brooding and gruff whisper-talk thing down pat. To quote Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (or the Bible, I guess), the man brings down great vengeance and furious anger upon this town. It all happened because the son of the town marshal just couldn’t figure out how to keep his dumb mouth shut. That’s the problem with loudmouths: they typically are the stupidest among us. Paul was all too happy to just be on his way, but then Gilly (what a stupid name) had to go and make a mess of things. Can’t say I feel too bad for him. He did kill a dog, after all. On the plus side, Paul, a man clearly in at least his forties, now has the opportunity to get it on with the local widow. And she just so happens to be sixteen freaking years old. Things were, uh… Things were mighty different back in the old west days. (Recorded on April 12, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: In a Valley of Violence - IMDb In a Valley of Violence trailer - YouTube A Million Ways to Die in the West - IMDb Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 12 Oct 2020 | The Invisible Man | 00:48:50 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are convinced there’s someone watching us from the corner of the room. No seriously, he’s right there. We’re not crazy! He’s invisible and he’s watching us right now! It’s the 2020 film from Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man. I’ve just got to say right now at the start of this thing: Elisabeth Moss is wonderful. She’s just an amazing acting force. Sure, okay, she’s a Scientologist and that’s really not great, but hey, we’ve all got our flaws. Nobody’s perfect, right? (Scientologists, if you’re reading, we’re totally cool. Don’t stalk or kill us. We’re not worth it. You’ve got more important people to intimidate and some ridiculous delusions to cultivate.) But this film… Wow. Just wow. So Cecilia Kass is a lovely person who’s being terrorized by her sociopathic, vindictive ass of a boyfriend. He’s a real piece of work and is terrible to the core. Seriously, such an ass. Unfortunately, he’s also something of an optics genius and has invented a suit that projects from it a perfect copy of its surroundings. Essentially, it’s an invisibility suit. He can sneak around, perform crimes, and just be the creepiest bastard that’s ever lived without consequences. He uses this technology to perform some of the most extreme gaslighting we’ve ever seen. He helps convince everyone that Cecilia is big-time crazy. Quite the catch, right? She’s not going down without a serious fight, though… We haven’t experienced such a suspenseful and thrilling movie in a long time. This film’s got the creepy goods and makes use of it very well. We couldn’t help wondering what was around every dark corner. We found ourselves thinking, Is anything actually there? Are our eyes seeing something or is this all just a trick? Are we going crazy, too? We loved this movie. It’s got a great story, amazing visuals, and sound design that just won’t let up on the creepy good stuff ever. This is an expertly made thriller that you should definitely see if you’re a fan of these sorts of movies. You can thank us later. (Recorded on August 20, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Invisible Man trailer - YouTube Inside the Sydney House That Appears in Hollywood Film The Invisible Man - TheLatch The Invisible Man opening titles - Art of the Title The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell figured out how to make empty corners horrifying - AV Club How The Invisible Man Based Its Gaslighting Thriller on Real-Life Stories of Abuse - Time Invisible Car | Die Another Day - YouTube Our Top 5 Favorite Movies, Part 5 | More Movies Please - Libsyn | |||
| 31 Jan 2022 | Jaws | 00:46:04 | |
On the podcast this time, Scuba Steven and Sean are hunting down the most dangerous thing to ever swim in the oceans around Amity Bay in Steven Spielberg’s film from 1975, Jaws. We get it—money’s important. But hey, council members of Amity Bay, aren’t human lives important, too? I bet you’d be singing a different tune if it was one of your kids who got ka-chomped by this murderous fish. Doubly so if you lost your legs during a sexy swimming incident. Good thing Brody, Hooper, and Quint are on the case. Without this rag-tag trio of unlikely shark hunters, there would be an unstoppable massacre happening in the shallow waters around the quaint seaside town at the center of the story. They’re scared, too, but at least they understand and appreciate the gravity of the situation. People need to stay out of the freaking water! If you go in, you might die, and it won’t be a pleasant death. Simple as that. But hey, sometimes parting fools from their money isn’t the easiest thing to do. Sometimes you’ve got to lose a few young souls to the mouth of a hungry great white in your non-stop quest for more tourist money. I’ll say this, I’m not planning a trip to Amity Bay anytime soon, that’s for sure. (Recorded on January 21, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Amity Island | Jaws Wiki - Fandom (Looks like the location is Amity Island. I was totally incorrect by calling it Amity Bay and I beg your forgiveness, die-hard Jaws fans.) Ghost Shark (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb Supernatural (TV Series 2005–2020) - IMDb Schindler’s List (1993) - IMDb The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of ‘Jaws’ (2007) - IMDb Follow Us: | |||
| 24 Apr 2020 | Tucker and Dale vs Evil | 00:28:26 | |
In the latest installment of our monthly B-movie series, Steven and Sean are falling into the wood chipper over the gruesome yet hilarious Eli Craig film, Tucker and Dale vs Evil. Will this one be brilliant or will it be a dreaded blunder? Well, clearly you need to listen to the episode to find out. From horny teenagers to warm and cuddly hillbillies, this movie has it all. We’re talking love, murder, curious uses of beer, and a pretty annoying psychopath. We don’t know what was going on with the kids in this film, but boy did they pay for their misunderstandings. I mean, c’mon, just take a second to think things through, guys! None of them had to die. But then I guess there wouldn’t be a movie. This movie features the most violent case of mistaken identity/hillbilly prejudice we’ve ever seen in a film. Hey people, just because someone looks like an evil, murdering hillbilly mountain-person doesn’t mean they’re an evil, murdering hillbilly mountain-person. Sometimes, that person just wants to enjoy their creepy mountain cabin or strike up a nice conversation with a pretty girl. We could all use a little more open-mindedness. As we now know, our lives could depend on it. We’re calling this one a B-movie, but it’s got an A-movie cast, an A-movie production, and A-movie fun. Not too many people know about this movie and that’s a shame. Is it gory? Sure. Is it still fun and worth your time? Hell yes! (Recorded on April 8, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 More Movies Please! - Instagram Tucker and Dale vs Evil - IMDb Snakes on a Plane from More Movies Please! - Apple Podcasts Check out our previous B-movie entry by clicking the link above. It’s Snakes on a Plane and it was interesting, to say the least. Firefly opening theme - YouTube You’re welcome Firefly fans. | |||
| 12 Jul 2021 | The Long Kiss Goodnight | 00:44:07 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are discovering that we’re actually highly trained super-duper killer spies. Except we’ve lost our memories and can’t recall our brutal pasts. Also, we’re hanging out with Samuel L. Jackson. Whaaaaaaaattt?! Yep, it’s the 1996 film from Renny Harlin, The Long Kiss Goodnight. I think I dig this whole sleeper agent/memory loss sub-genre of action films. There’s something so mysterious about a normal, probably meek-looking person who could be your next-door neighbor suddenly transforming into a badass killing machine intent on exacting revenge. Yeah, you do not want to get in their way. They’re now on a mission, and that mission is to kill every dang fool who wronged them in the past. And just last week they baked you a whole tray of snickerdoodle cookies. Who would have ever guessed? I guess that explains why everyone is so into weirdo murder mystery podcasts these days. I don’t get it, so I guess they’re just not for me. On the other hand, why are there so many people interested in listening to gruesome stories about people being murdered? And not just one episode. No, instead there are entire podcast shows dedicated to the terrible subject. Entire swaths of the Discovery network of channels are devoted to that stuff. What’s the appeal there? Perhaps I’ll never know. I mean, I don’t want to make myself feel crazy anxious all the time or have nightmares. No, thank you. Instead, we should all just be happy to watch a pretty campy Geena Davis-Samuel L. Jackson film from the ‘90s. Doesn’t that sentence alone take you back to a time when all action movies had infinite bullets, insane explosions, and a soundtrack that makes you wonder if synthesizers were the only instruments available back then? The only travesty about this film is the fact that Geena Davis’s career took a bit of a hit after the one-two underperforming punch of Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight. It’s Geena freaking Davis. She’s excellent. I mean, we all saw Thelma & Louise, right? She should have been, and should still be, an international superstar. Okay, she’s not hurting for work, but I would love to see a McConaughey-style renaissance for her. A Davis-sance, if you will. Friends, let’s make it happen! Geena Davis for season four of True Detective! (Recorded on April 19, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Long Kiss Goodnight - IMDb The Long Kiss Goodnight trailer - YouTube (C’mon, Stance and MeUndies! You sponsor everyone else. Why not us? We like money!) | |||
| 06 Jun 2022 | Riders of Justice | 00:42:17 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are on a relentless mission to avenge the lives of our loved ones in the 2020 film from Anders Thomas Jensen, Riders of Justice. With elements of a funnier Taken, the series proving that knowing Liam Neeson means you will one day be kidnapped, this Danish film transforms a tragedy of immense proportions into a thriller that may only work from a Scandinavian country. It’s been proven time and again that those countries understand how to produce snowy mystery films and tv shows that are a step above the rest of the world. Heck, there’s a whole genre of books written by Scandinavian authors that feature the sort of tone that infuses this film. It’s one of the reasons why I would love to go to Denmark or Sweden or Norway. Not necessarily because I want to risk my life (note: I’m sure those countries are remarkably safe places, especially compared to my home country), but because I wouldn’t mind them making a gripping film series about me. I know I’d want to see it: A well-meaning podcast host suddenly finds himself hot on the trail of a creepy serial killer who only works when the Northern Lights shine over the world. The story just writes itself at that point! Oh, and the film we’re talking about this episode is amazing. Make sure you watch it. (Recorded on April 1, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Riders of Justice trailer - YouTube Follow Us: | |||
| 10 Jan 2022 | Tommy Boy | 00:42:15 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are trying to make our dad proud by saving the family automotive parts business in the 1995 film from Peter Segal, Tommy Boy. What we’ve got here in the ‘90s is an era of comedy films, namely those starring people like Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, and David Spade, that has a special place in the hearts of many. Heck, just ask Steven to tell you all about those films. I’m sure he could wax lyrical about them for a long time. There’s something special about them. The stakes are about as low as you can get in a film. The comedy is a specific sort of loud, brash, and crude. The characters are perfect examples of buffoons. You know what you’re going to get with them. What you’ll be getting, if you set your expectations at the right level, is a perfectly adequate and nice movie. It’s not going to shake the world with its storytelling, but that’s not the goal of a movie like Tommy Boy. If you’re hoping for The Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca, then you need to look elsewhere, friend. What this film excels at is warming hearts and producing giggles. That’s because it’s got a heart as big as its comedy. It’s the perfect encapsulation of everything that our dearly missed Chris Farley wanted to bring to this world. He wanted to bring silliness and happiness into this world. I think he did exactly that with this film. (Recorded on October 11, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) - IMDb A Night at the Roxbury (1998) - IMDb Chris Traeger | Parks and Recreation Wiki - Fandom American Gladiators (TV Series 1989–1997) - IMDb American Ninja Warrior (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 12 Apr 2021 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | 00:55:04 | |
On the podcast this week, Spider-Steven and Sean are embarking on our greatest adventure ever: learning how to become the best heroes we can possibly be for the people who need us the most. We’re doing it all with this week’s episode about the 2018 film from Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Damn, what a great film this is. Sorry, I gave away how we feel about this one way too early (and in the stinking show notes, too!). Look, if you don’t know that this film is one of the best things that’s been made in the last decade, then you either haven’t seen it yet or you’re stuck in an alternate universe where it doesn’t exist. In which case, I just feel sorry for you. You’re missing out on a great story. Visuals aside for a second, the story is very affecting. As it always does, it boils down to what dear old Uncle Ben said: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” In every universe, nobody is asking to be a Spider-Person; it’s just forced on them, and they have to find a way to cope with their newfound powers. In the case of Miles Morales, not only does he have new spider powers to try and figure out, he’s also been tasked with saving several universes. If that’s not a lot of pressure, then I don’t know what is. That’s just a part of being Spider-Man, though. It takes responsibility, and it takes a leap of faith. The visuals of this film, though? Top freaking notch. I haven’t seen anything like this in, well, ever. I think we’re going to look back on this one and realize that it did something unique: it was original. None of us would be surprised to hear that it pushed the art of animated films forward. It’s a spectacle film, with a hell of a lot of heart. That’s hard to come by these days. Look, what this all comes down to is: you’ve got the power to see this film, so it’s your responsibility to see it. And at least a dozen times. (Recorded on February 22, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - IMDb Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse trailer - YouTube Steven’s Miles Morales shirt (probably?) - Redbubble Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered - PlayStation Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition - PlayStation Spider-Man: The Animated Series - IMDb Peter Porker (Earth-8311) | Marvel Database - Fandom Peter Parker (Earth-90214) | Marvel Database - Fandom | |||
| 01 Jun 2020 | Inside Man | 00:53:51 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are sticking up the place in the mysterious and riveting Spike Lee film, Inside Man. But we’re not going into this one alone. This time, we’ve got an accomplice! Erm, I mean we have a special guest. Join us in welcoming the always great, John McClane, a.k.a. Johnny Banana. Our first guest! We’re thrilled to bring in a new voice and point of view. We’re keeping the Spike Lee gush-fest going with his 2006 bank heist film. Quite a departure from the previous film we talked about, BlacKkKlansman. This one is no less thrilling. How could it be? It’s got Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, AND Christopher Plummer?! One of the best bank robbery movies ever, right? It’s also got intrigue and broody talking and a twist that’ll knock your socks off (so make sure you’re not wearing any when you watch this one). Despite Clive Owen telling you exactly what happens, you won’t know what’s going on until the very end of it. Is it really about the bank money? How can Denzel Washington be so cool under such pressure? And wait, there’s a Nazi plot point in this one? Talk about layers! This movie’s basically an onion with guns—the most dangerous vegetable of all. We’re really impressed with how easily this movie captured our attention and kept it throughout its entire running time. It might be a movie about a bank heist, but there’s also a lot of depth to the story and characters. It’s a cat-and-mouse game set to a really jazzy soundtrack that you’re not going to want to miss. (Recorded on April 15, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Be sure to check out Johnny’s Instagram profile, @socallivemusicreview Also, head over to his Twitter profile, @SoCalLiveMusic Jeremy Bearimy: How Time Works in the Afterlife - YouTube Doctor Who - Complete Time Wimey Don’t Blink Speech - YouTube The famous Spike Lee Dolly Shot - IMDb Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn - IMDb Birds of Prey on More Movies Please! - Apple Podcasts Iron Man and Iron Man 2 - | |||
| 04 Jan 2021 | The Farewell | 00:59:27 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are lying to our dear Nai Nais about their impending death— No, shhh! Don’t tell them about it. They don't know they’re going to die. It’s the 2019 film from Lulu Wang, The Farewell. Talk about an intriguing dilemma at the heart of this film. Clearly, it’s about a cultural difference, but does that make it any easier to come to a good answer? If you knew that your beloved grandmother was dying, and soon, would you make the decision not to tell her? Is it right to keep information like that from her? It is her life, after all. What right does anyone have to keep news like this from someone else? But therein lies the rub—depending on where you’re from, keeping that news from someone could make all the sense in the world. Why subject someone you love to grief, pain, and possibly even regret when they don’t have to face those emotions? Would it actually be a kinder act to keep them unaware of their impending death so their final days can be happy? Hell if I know. We’re from the U.S.A. As Billi says in this film, keeping that sort of information from someone here is surely illegal. In China, though? That’s a whole different thing. I suppose the best thing you could do, no matter where you live, is to just treasure whatever time you have with the people in your life. That’s the best message to be taken from this film. We never get to have enough time with the ones we love, but we can choose to fill that time with love. It sucks like hell when we lose those we hold dearest in our hearts. There’s no denying that. We should all strive to be more like Billi: find the strength we need inside us, surround ourselves with those that mean the most to us, and love them with every we’ve got. (Recorded on November 23, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Farewell trailer - YouTube Jumanji: The Next Level - IMDb Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens - IMDb Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell - IMDb The Hashtag That Changed the Oscars: An Oral History - The New York Times Filmmaker Lulu Wang Based 'The Farewell' On Her Family's Real-Life Lie - NPR | |||
| 06 Apr 2020 | Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn | 00:42:45 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean join in on the fun in the confetti bomb-shooting Cathy Yan film, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. We start the episode with our appreciation of the Margot Robbie version of Harley Quinn. Stay on her good side and you may just find yourself hanging out with someone who won’t let anyone mess with the people she considers her friends. She will take punks out, sometimes with a nose full of cocaine. Things then get super good when the other Birds of Prey join in on the Harley Quinn fun. Even villains (or anti-heroes) can come together and kick some serious butt, especially when wearing roller skates. Look, this film is no Suicide Squad and that should probably be all you need to really hear about it. Rest assured, you’re not going to walk out of this movie feeling nearly as upset. This is a fun film with a great visual style, an energetic attitude, a cast who really gives their all to their roles, and a disgustingly good breakfast sandwich. Also, my fingers are so tired from typing that dang long title so much. (Recorded on February 17, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn - IMDb Testicular Cancer: Self-Exams at Home - WebMD Deadpool 2 end credits scenes (including the Green Lantern revenge) - YouTube Batman: Under the Red Hood - IMDb Binging with Babish: Egg Sandwich from Birds of Prey - YouTube Want to see someone make this sandwich and maybe even learn how to do it yourself? There’s your go-to video. Tom Holland Shares How He Kept Spider-Man in the MCU During Marvel-Sony Spat - Collider Rush Hour 1-3 Bloopers - YouTube
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| 15 Mar 2021 | What We Do In the Shadows | 00:47:21 | |
On the podcast this week, Werewolf Steven and Count Sean are enjoying our blood drinking, werewolf fighting, Stu loving afterlives in the 2014 film from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What We Do In the Shadows. [Editor’s note: this is not the FX tv show, but that one’s also amazing. Watch it the moment after you finish listening to this episode if you haven’t seen it. If you have seen it, then watch it again. Thanks!] These aren’t your granddaddy’s vampires. They aren’t your aunt-who-loves-sexy-vampires-a-little-too-much’s vampires, either. These vampires are funny, and have a wide variety of personal interests. They’re the sort of vampires we wouldn’t mind hanging out with any day of the week. Except for maybe during feeding time. Look, they can be friendly and deceptively deep, but they’ll still chomp into your neck and drain you until you’re dry and dead. That’s a no-go for us. On the other hand, if you’re nice to them, and maybe teach them how to use the internet, then they’ll end up being your best friends. Who doesn’t want that? You can hang out in all the coolest Auckland vampire nightclubs, get in near-scrapes with local werewolf packs, and witness excellent bat fights. We’re eternally grateful that the true reality of these wonderful creatures has finally been captured on film. Sure, there are those terrifying, Dracula-like vamps out there that only want to wreak as much havoc as possible during their long lives. However, we’ve now got some indisputable proof that not all vampires are bad. Sometimes they just want to be understood. They want to be seen for the complex creatures they are. They even want to find love out in this crazy, cruel world. The documentary crew that captured this clearly real brood of vampires did humanity a huge favor. Wait, not brood. This family of vampires. May we all one day find the same love and acceptance they give to those for whom they care. Life wouldn’t get any better than that. (Recorded on January 25, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: What We Do In the Shadows - IMDb What We Do In the Shadows trailer - YouTube Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles - IMDb Vampires and Silver - Gods and Monsters Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - IMDb | |||
| 27 Sep 2021 | Hell or High Water | 00:44:53 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are becoming modern-day Robin Hoods and screwing over the blood-thirsty banks in the 2016 film from David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water. I really can’t undersell just how sweet it was to watch these two bank-robbing brothers get one over the bank that tried to steal their recently deceased mother’s land. Word to the wise, if you find oil on your property, make sure you own said property as outright as possible. You’ll never be able to trust a bank as far as you can throw one, and I’d bet that’s not very far. They will do everything in their power to further line their own pockets with your money. Sure, modern life doesn’t work all that well without centralized banking (sorry Bitcoin enthusiasts), but there’s the rub! The balance of power is tipped heavily in favor of the banks. Need evidence to support that claim? Read into the global financial crisis of 2008. They were handing out bank bailouts like they were candy. Oil was found on the property of these characters, and what’s the first thing the bank does? Schemes to screw over the impoverished elderly woman who owns the house. Some big bullshit, right? What do her two grieving, pissed-off sons (one of whom was just released from prison) do to right this wrong? They start stealing money from the very same banks that are actively trying to steal from them. Oh yeah, sweet, sweet retribution. This sort of thievery is illegal, so a Texas Ranger is dispatched to find and arrest them. It goes to show just how unbalanced the scales of justice are that some Texas Rangers weren’t also dispatched to round up the assholes who tried to take the land in the first place. That’s another story for another time. Maybe watch The Big Short or something. I won’t spoil much of the ending. Suffice it to say, things get messy. Like all messy things, they devolve fast. Guns are shot, people are killed, and there’s a simmering standoff that features some of the best glowering work you may have ever seen from a pair of actors. (Recorded on August 09, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Hell or High Water trailer - YouTube Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 24 Aug 2020 | The Right Stuff | 00:53:50 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are learning how to blast off into orbit as we watch the enlightening, thrilling Philip Kaufman film, The Right Stuff. Strap yourselves in because this one’s gonna be a doozy of an episode. Not only is it one of the longer movies we’ve ever watched for the podcast, but this one can also be a bit of a contentious one in some ways. I think that’s what happens when you’re watching a film that’s as exhaustive and in-depth as this one is. If you’ve ever wanted to see a movie that explains the full extent of the Mercury Seven astronauts, what they went through to be able to go into space, and a good bit of past global politics, then this one’s for you! Okay, that sounded like these here show notes are trying to talk you out of watching this film. That’s the case! The Right Stuff is absolutely worth a watch. Just don’t feel bad about splitting this one up into a few separate viewings. The film opens up with a very thrilling moment in the history of flight: the breaking of the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager. This film makes the case that this was the moment that changed so much for the world. There’s a strong line between this point and people landing and walking on the Moon for the very first time. These are monumental moments in humankind’s history and they’re depicted in a very real and thrilling way here. While most other movies might have spent much of their running times depicting just the scary and exciting process of putting someone up into space, this one also spends a significant amount of time showing how the dangerous job of being an astronaut affects these men and their families. This film truly isn’t just about rockets and space travel and glory. It’s actually about the drive of a select group of people and the brave struggle of their wives. It’s a film about lofty dreams and sometimes crushing reality. Overall, Steven enjoyed the sound design of this one, but he was fascinated by how different sound design techniques and preferences were during this era of filmmaking. There’s an elevated reality to the sound in this film that may not be so in vogue these days. Regardless, much of the sound really draws you in. It’s easy to imagine yourself shooting into space while watching this film, especially if you’ve got a nice sound system. Likewise, Sean was pleased with the look of this film. The camera work and lighting depicted three very different main locations: the desert where Chuck Yeager spends his time setting speed records, the sterile rooms and hallways of NASA, and the cramped confines of the capsules that were used to send these astronauts into space. Each one of those main locations felt real. You could taste the grit of the desert dust, hear the squeakiness of those NASA hallways, and feel the squeeze of those capsules. This is a film that demands a lot of your attention, but it rewards the time you spend watching it. It depicts an important history in an exacting and entertaining way. Give it a watch today! (Recorded on June 18, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Right Stuff trailer - YouTube Raiders of the Lost Ark - IMDb | |||
| 31 Jul 2020 | Mars Attacks! | 00:34:16 | |
Is that a U.F.O.? Nah, it’s just our monthly B-movie bonus episode! Get ready for it, because we’ve got all our terrifying death lasers set to disintegrate this time. We’re talking about Tim Burton’s peculiar and pretty dang silly film, Mars Attacks! Let’s kick off this episode by pissing off loads of Tim Burton fans! That’s what all good podcasts about movies are supposed to do, right? Just alienate (ha!) all their current and future fans, yeah? If that’s the secret sauce to crafting a well-known podcast, then we’ve got it! Nah, we’re just kidding. We love Tim Burton’s movies, even the weird ones that certain podcast co-hosts really shouldn’t have seen when they were as young as they were. Seriously, friends, don’t show your children this movie. Sean was pretty dang scarred for a while after seeing it. As for the film itself, we think this might actually be a pretty accurate representation of what would happen to the planet is malicious Martians ever visited us. There would be loads of destruction, a whole lot of ACK ACK ACKs, and waaay too many less than intelligent people doing what they’re best at: being dumb. Will there be body swapping between a woman and her dog? Yep. Will Pierce Brosnan get decapitated? Of course. Will there be loads of probes? Yeah, probably. These are freaky, maniacal aliens we’re talking about here. Why wouldn’t there be probing? It’s okay, though. These terrible Martians have a deadly Achilles’ heel. Just like all living beings, they’re susceptible to terrible country music. You heard it here first. The one thing that will save us all in the future is the twangy croonings of some long dead, cowboy hat-wearing white guy. Thanks, country music! At the end of the podcast, there’s really only one thing left for us to try to figure out. Mars Attacks! is definitely a high-caliber B-movie. It looks pretty dang good for a mid-‘90s sci-fi film and its fun moments are a blast. Does that make it B-movie brilliance or is it a terrible B-movie blunder? Listen through to the end of the episode to find out for yourself! (Recorded on June 25, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Mars Attacks! trailer - YouTube Sharktopus | More Movies Please! - Apple Podcasts Independence Day video game - Wikipedia New and Improved Joker Products! - YouTube Here’s that Joker tv takeover video that Steven referenced during the podcast. That’s some good ‘80s filmmaking there. | |||
| 27 Aug 2021 | I’m Gonna Git You Sucka | 00:41:44 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are gearing up with far too many guns to take on the baddest Mr. Big this side of Sex and the City in Keenan Ivory Wayans’ 1988 film, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. Viewer (or podcast listener?) be warned: this is a straight-up spoof film. This is not the sort of high-brow comedy film that Sean was expecting, nor was it solely a drama or action film. It feels kind of strange to say, but this is a piece of work that has some deep layers. Indeed, very much like an onion, as the saying goes. It’s a tale as old as time. A highly decorated man comes back from the military to find that his brother has been killed by a surplus of gold jewelry. He discovers that the dreaded Mr. Big has been filling the street with the shiny stuff and vows to take down this lowlife piece of scum. After reuniting with his dear, ass-kicking mother and his beloved girl, he forms a supergroup of black heroes from the ‘70s to back him up in his quest for revenge. Along the way, he tussles with hooligans, gets into fights with little people, and hangs out with freaking Isaac Hayes. You have everyone’s permission to dig it, friend. If this film sounds more serious than what it actually is, then you’re in good company. Sean had no idea what he was in store for, but in his defense, the trailer for the film paints a different picture of its content (make sure to check it out in the links below). Once you can get over its absurdity, you’ll undoubtedly have as good a time watching this as Steven did. There’s a lot of silliness to be had in this film. It is a film that parodies the blaxploitation movies that were so popular back in the ‘70s. It does so with obvious love and respect. It doesn’t look down on its source material. It puts a ridiculous spin on it instead. If that isn’t a perfect recipe for a B-movie bonus episode, then I don’t know what is. Make sure you listen to find out if we thought this one was brilliant, a blunder, or a flunder of a film. (Recorded on July 05, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: I’m Gonna Git You Sucka - IMDb I’m Gonna Git You Sucka trailer - YouTube The Jack Spade-Cheryl scene that Sean recounted - YouTube | |||
| 03 Aug 2020 | Our Top 5 Favorite Movies, Part 4 | 00:52:35 | |
It’s time for the amazing and fabulous fourth part of our top five favorite movies mini-series! It’s the penultimate part, which is one of the very best parts of anything. There’s the feeling of accomplishment you get from making it this far and none of the sadness from knowing that you’re listening to the end of the series. It’s all just good times! First up, we’ve got a thrilling movie with an incredible soundtrack for one of Sean’s favorites. This one is the 2011 crime drama thriller romance film (oh yes, it covers all those bases and then some) by one of the all-time great Danes, Nicolas Winding Refn. It’s called Drive and it’s a knock-you-out-of-your-socks sort of a film. It left us breathless by the end of it and wondering what it has against redheads. Seriously, that poor Christina Hendricks character… Regardless, it looks stunning and has an energy that sucks you in from moment one. Immediately following Sean’s pick is another one of Steven’s. This time he’s bringing us the wonderfully touching film, About Time, made in 2013 and directed by the always amazing Richard Curtis. This one sneaks up on you with its clever writing, adorable relationships, and tender family moments. Come for the concept and stay for the emotional resonance. Thankfully, the redheads in this one make it out better than they did in Drive. I mean, waaay better. This film feels completely real, even despite its fantastical premise, and by the end of it, makes you wish you could watch it again right away. These two are fun and a thrill to watch. Drive and About Time are some of our favorite movies for a clear reason. We feel positive that you’ll fall in love with them, too. Get into it and tune in again for part 5! (Recorded on May 20, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Phrasing… Boom | Archer - YouTube The Fast and the Furious - IMDb Sean screwed up the name of this fine cinematographer in the episode so fiercely that he needs to be called out for this mistake in the show notes. Shame on you, Sean. Shame. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - IMDb Follow Us: | |||
| 06 Jul 2020 | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou | 00:51:12 | |
On the podcast this week, Skipper Steve and Sean are going to avenge our best friend in the delightful and unique Wes Anderson film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Seems like Scuba Steve is doing his very best to become our nation’s very first Pun-Maker Laureate. He’s got them firing off left and right as we get into this film. Somebody nominate him for that very prestigious role already! It may be safe to say that this one is Wes Anderson’s least appreciated films and we’re not really sure what that’s all about. Even his first film, Bottle Rocket, gets more love and we think that’s a damn shame. This is all anecdotal, of course, but we’re probably not far off with that assessment and we want this one to get the love it deserves! The Life Aquatic has a lot of heart. That seems to be a constant facet of Anderson’s films—underneath their quirky veneer, they’re full to the brim with real and affecting emotion. The script and actors are always giving it everything they’ve got. This one also has more melancholy than many of his other films. I mean, the thing opens with Zissou’s best friend being eaten by a freaking shark! How damn terrible is that? But then he meets someone who may be his son and that just changes his entire world even more. We found it fascinating to see Zissou filled with more purpose after losing his friend and meeting his possible son than he’d had in many years. It’s a wonderful thing when someone knows exactly what they want to do with their life. But enough with the heavy emotion. Let’s talk about the Belafonte! Steve Zissou’s ship is amazing! And those stop-motion fish were so inventive! And we want one of those red caps! But maybe not those Speedos? …Screw it, give us some of those Speedos! We can rock them! Papa Steve feels that this film has a wonderful soundscape and Sean can only agree with that. Not only does the sound work and the music bring you into a complete and fascinating world, it’s also just a blast to listen to. It can be funnier than you’d ever expect the sound to be. This is work done at a very high level. Robert Yeoman’s cinematography is, as always, in a class of its own. Sure, the look of a Wes Anderson film is usually attributed to its exacting, eccentric director, but leaving it at that would be doing a disservice to Mr. Yeoman. His eye for lighting, movement, and framing is top-notch. Anytime he’s listed as the cinematographer for a film you know it’s going to be a good one. Oh yeah, we were serious about that Academy Award for Best Podcast. We want that thing on our mantles! (Recorded on June 04, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - IMDb The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou trailer - YouTube Those wonderfully wacky Batman transitions - YouTube The Criterion Collection version of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou | |||
| 29 May 2020 | Demolition Man | 00:33:55 | |
Climb out of the deep freeze because it’s time for another B-movie bonus episode! This time around, Steven and Sean are hunting down the baddest mo-fo with bleached blond hair of all time in the Marco Brambilla film, Demolition Man. What a tour de force ‘90s action film! Could there be a more perfect movie for trying times or any time? We think not! I mean, c’mon, we’ve got an ultra-violent bad guy and the police officer who’s sworn to track down and stop him both waking up in a non-violent future after being frozen for killing people in the past. A future that’s also completely filled with Taco Bells! If that doesn’t make you want to turn this one on and watch all of it right this second, we don’t know what will. We think this is a B-movie at its finest. It’s got strangely compelling characters that you want to root for and against, it’s got more explosions than a fireworks display gone terribly wrong, and it’s got seashells to clean yourself after using the bathroom. (As a quick aside, what the heck were those all about? Steven has his theories, but they’re still a possibly horrifying mystery.) We don’t want to totally give away our final verdict about this film here in the show notes, but we do want to say how thrilled we were to see a mid-‘90s movie that still holds up on the sound design and cinematography fronts. This may be one of the more ridiculous (in the best way) films we’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean the production wasn’t excellent. In fact, it was top notch! To close this out, as always, be well. (Recorded on May 6, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Demolition Man trailer - YouTube A Glimpse Into The Future Of Taco Bell (Inspired By Demolition Man) - Taco Bell The Long Kiss Goodnight - IMDb 28 Photos Of Dennis Rodman's Iconic, Ridiculously Colorful Hair - Huffington Post Looks like Demolition Man had the most accurate future portrayal… The Jolly Green Giant (and the Green Giant food brand)! - Wikipedia The Armour Hot Dog commercial jingle - YouTube Darkwing Duck theme song - YouTube The three seashells… - The Dad Follow Us: | |||
| 19 Apr 2021 | Loving Vincent | 00:48:11 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are trying to make a postal delivery from the late, great Vincent van Gogh, but end up getting caught up with solving quite the mystery with the 2017 film from Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, Loving Vincent. Man, we feel wiped out just watching this film. How impossibly exhausting must it have been to create all the thousands upon thousands of hand-painted oil works that make up this astonishing thing? I mean, sure, the artists who worked on this one must have enjoyed doing the work. It’s not like they were forced to paint an entire film at gunpoint. At least, I hope that’s not what happened. Those poor artists, if that was the case. But it probably wasn’t. Maybe. Technical stuff aside for a moment, this film is a clever way to introduce people to the life and story of now-über renowned artist Vincent van Gogh. In his time, though, he was hardly known, save for a small handful of people who were either delighted by his eccentric personality or disgusted by it. He painted so much beauty, but never sold any of it. He lived a tragic, painful life that ended all too abruptly. It’s a shame that’s how things ended for him given how appreciated he became. We get to experience all this through the eyes and travels of one Armand Roulin, whose father, Joseph Roulin, was Vincent’s postman and friend. Joseph tasks Armand with delivering one final letter to Vincent’s brother, Theo. While trying to find Theo, Armand meets an assortment of unique people who knew Vincent, whom all tell stories about his life. Through these interactions we learn more about the person Vincent was, and not just the legend he became. It’s a lovely, melancholy story told in such a unique fashion: the entire damn film is done in oil paint! Every single second. Every single frame! It’s all a living, moving work of painted art. It really is phenomenal, and is something that everyone should experience. We tend to think of animated films as something that’s drawn with a pencil or molded with a computer, but this one is crafted by a brush. It’s special, engaging, and worth your time. (Recorded on March 01, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Loving Vincent trailer - YouTube Complete Timey Wimey Don't Blink Speech | Doctor Who - YouTube | |||
| 28 May 2021 | A Million Ways to Die in the West | 00:28:31 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are trying to win ourselves a girl. Oh, if we only had a mustache! This week, it’s Seth MacFarlane’s 2014 film, A Million Ways to Die in the West. Okay, quick, let’s get the plot of this thing out of the way. Ahem. There’s Albert, a man who lives in the Old West, but hates that time because everything—literally everything—is trying to kill you. Who would want to live in a place like that? His best friend is named Edward, who’s in a relationship with a selectively prudish prostitute. He’s in love with someone who doesn’t love him back because of how he feels about the time. What, he doesn’t want to shoot guns and he runs a sheep farm? He’s not much of a man. He meets a beautiful woman named Anna. She’s in a relationship, albeit a terrible one that she wants out of, with the most fearsome gunman in the West, Clinch. What’s a person like Albert to do, except fall in love with Anna, prove that he’s at least somewhat capable gun handler, and gets the girl in the end. Reductive? Sure, but then there’s not a huge amount of depth to this story. However, I don’t think there needs to be. This isn’t Casablanca, dang it. It’s a film where people die from farts, doctors are more likely to kill patients than save them, and others unleash vile torrents of feces into hats. This film knows exactly what it is, and we love it for that. That’s what makes this a peculiar B-movie bonus episode. On the one hand, the film currently has a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s clearly not a film with a particularly great or important story. To take a critical look at this film is to ensure it’s a blunder of a film. I think that would be a mistake, though. This isn’t a film that’s trying to be anything more than it is. That is to say, it’s not trying to have much substance. It’s trying to bring some humor into our damn lives, especially at a time when the world isn’t feeling too great. Sometimes we just need some foolish escapism, with low stakes and Neil Patrick Freaking Harris doing a song-and-dance number about mustaches. In that way, this film is a… masterpiece? Yeah, why not? (Recorded on April 05, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: A Million Ways to Die in the West - IMDb A Million Ways to Die in the West trailer - YouTube The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - IMDb A Million Ways to Die in the West - Rotten Tomatoes The Sisters Brothers (2018) - IMDb | |||
| 21 Sep 2020 | Top Hat | 00:51:53 | |
When it’s musical month you can bet on us watching and talking about a movie that just gets our toes tapping. This week, we’ve got a musical all the way from 1935, starring the two greats, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Which one of their ten co-starring films is in store for us today? Why, it’s the Mark Sandrich film, Top Hat! If you wanted to hear us talk about our various haircuts, how hot it is these days, and how much Sean envies Steven’s fluffy hair, then you’re listening to the right podcast. Welcome to More Haircuts Please! We’re very happy to introduce this brand new show to you today, dear listener. Thank you for tuning in. Nah, just kidding. Today, we’re actually launching a new podcast about our distaste for other classic and much-loved musicals. Down with The Wizard of Oz! Down with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory! Just kidding again. We’re talking about Top Hat today, for reals. It’s one of the many films that starred both Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, a.k.a. “Fred & Ginger.” They really cornered the market on dazzling audiences with great songs, astounding dancing, and plot lines that may not carry the most substance, but are still a heck of a lot of fun. There’s a serious case of mistaken identity in this one. Isn’t that how it always goes in films? A man loves a woman. The woman thinks he’s actually another person altogether and is, therefore, a lying, cheating, cad of a man because he’s hitting on her while being married to a mutual friend. It sure does make for quite the contentious relationship, and also quite the enjoyable movie. Steven (and Sean) enjoyed many of the brilliant and surprisingly recognizable songs peppered throughout the film. When you hear the opening chords and verses of Cheek to Cheek you know you’re in for a great time. Sean had a lot of fun watching the capable cinematography. All of the shots were designed to showcase the incredible talents of the two leads. It’s hard to watch a film like this one and not feel the urge to get up and start dancing along with them. We’ll have a very special musical in store for you next week. Tune in to listen to us discuss something wonderful. (Recorded on July 16, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - IMDb Tunnel of Terror Scene | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - YouTube Job Switching | I Love Lucy - IMDb Dr. Mantoots | Scrubs - YouTube Inside Will Smith's Luxurious $2.5 Million, 2-Story Movie Trailer - Business Insider | |||
| 07 Jun 2021 | A Quiet Place Part II | 00:58:33 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are trying to stay as quiet as possible because we don’t like getting torn apart by alien monsters in the 2020 film from John Krasinski, A Quiet Place Part II. Well, we finally did it! At long last, we finally saw A Quiet Place Part II. We’ve had this film on our episode index for well over a year now. We’ve anticipated its release, longed to see it, and agonized over its frequent delays. The COVID pandemic kept all of us out of the theater for too long (although, we’ll gladly take being safe and healthy over seeing any movie). That damn thing meant that we weren’t able to venture back into the tense world of A Quiet Place until now. Let me assure you, it was well worth the wait. We got to see this one as it was intended to be seen: in a darkened theater, our noses filled with the salty scent of fresh popcorn, and buffeted on all sides by an impressive Dolby Atmos sound mix. There’s no finer way to enjoy a film like this, and both of us are grateful to have enjoyed it in this way. We found ourselves impressed with how adept the filmmakers were at continuing the storyline of the Abbott family, while also forcing them back out into the terrifying, deadly world beyond their sand paths. We’re not given a story that feels unfamiliar. Rather, it keeps the tone and tension that was so masterfully done in the first film. Instead, we’re given new horrors in the form of mad, murderous people. We’re shown what happened to the planet on “Day 1.” We’re given glimmers of hope that there could be a future without these marauding creatures killing everyone they hear. Where the first film terrified us in a relatively enclosed space on the Abbott farm, the second keeps you breathless out in the big, bad world. We’re thrilled to talk about this film and we’re delighted to have experienced it in a familiar way. (Recorded on May 31, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: A Quiet Place trailer - YouTube A Quiet Place Part II trailer - YouTube Demogorgon (species) | Stranger Things Wiki - Fandom | |||
| 03 Jan 2022 | Yes Man | 00:35:41 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are saying YES to life and YES to this week’s movie. It’s the 2008 film by Peyton Reed, Yes Man. This movie makes a good point: stop being a “no” person and start saying “yes” to more things. Who knows what could happen? Maybe you’ll end up at the top of a Los Angeles mountain with a homeless person. Maybe you’ll end up bungee jumping. You might even fall in love with Zooey Deschanel. What a wondrous life that would be, right? And what you’re going to deny yourself the life of a lifetime just because saying yes to more things will put you out of your comfort zone? I’m going to be Terrence Stamp in this movie and bonk you over the head with a microphone. BONK! There, do you have more sense in your head now? More of an adventurous spirit? You should. Take Jim Carrey (in this movie), for instance. He was living a miserable life, even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself. He was going nowhere until he decided to say yes to everything that was asked of him. His entire life changed! I can’t promise you that you’ll get promoted at your bank job, save Luis Guzman from jumping off a ledge, learn Korean, and live a fun life with Ms. Deschanel. But I also can’t promise those things won’t happen. Think about it and say yes to more things… (Recorded on November 19, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Blockbuster CEO Passed up Chance to Buy Netflix for $50 Million - Business Insider Master Chief (Halo) - Wikipedia Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) - IMDb | |||
| 18 Oct 2021 | Young Frankenstein | 00:41:12 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are re-animating dead flesh and doing a damn fine job at it if we do say so ourselves in the 1974 film from Mel Brooks, Young Frankenstein. Let’s get this out the way first: it’s Fron-ken-steen! Frankenstein was a loony old man with a worrying obsession over the dead. Get it right! Who are we kidding? There’s too much good stuff happening in this film to really delve too deeply into this classic right now. From Gene Wilder’s passionate mad scientist to the always “helpful” Eye-gor. From rolling in the hay to Frau Blücher [distant horse whinnies]. From Puttin’ on the Ritz to an enormous schwanzstucker. This film just has it all. It’s a freaking classic for a reason! If you’ve seen this film before, then we entreat you to give it another viewing. As we found out, it’s just as good the tenth time as it is the first time. If you haven’t ever seen it, then, well, we’re a little jealous of you. Oh yes, we’re jealous because this means that you get to experience this marvel of a movie for the first time. You’ll get to experience all of the classic funny bits with fresh eyes. There’s no greater gift the universe can give to someone. Whatever the case may be, put this one on, give it a nice watch, and then enjoy this episode! (Recorded on August 23, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Young Frankenstein trailer - YouTube Sutton Foster Performs “Roll in the Hay” - YouTube Robin Hood: Men in Tights - IMDb History of the World: Part I - IMDb Everybody Loves Raymond - IMDb Puttin’ on the Ritz | Fred Astaire - YouTube Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 25 Sep 2020 | Anna and the Apocalypse | 00:38:34 | |
Put on your finest Christmas duds and warm up those pipes of yours because we’ve got a comedy horror… musical in store for you? Wait wait. This one is a comedy and a horror and a musical? All in one movie? You bet your butt it is! For our latest B-movie bonus episode, we watched the gruesome and hilarious John McPhail film, Anna and the Apocalypse. So it’s Christmas time in the U.K. and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a zombie apocalypse on. Just everyone’s luck, right? You’re about to finish up high school, you’ve got big plans to travel the world, and then everyone starts turning up dead! Or rather, undead. This is exactly the predicament Anna Shepherd finds herself in. Dang it, she just wants to start living the life she wants to live already! She wants it so bad that she’s singing it out loud. In fact, everyone’s singing in this one. It is a musical after all. But what’s to be done when zombies start taking over and eating everyone? Well, as the age-old wisdom goes, you start bashing in some zombie brains if you want to make it out alive. If you’ve still got a song in your heart, well then you’d better belt it out, as well. You never know how many of those opportunities you’ll have before you end up dead. Damn! I mean undead. Undead! Sheesh. You’d think I’d never seen a comedy horror musical about a zombie apocalypse before now or something. When it comes to our monthly B-movie episodes, there’s only one question we’re trying to answer by the end: is this movie brilliant or a blunder? We’ll leave it to you to listen to the episode to find out. (Recorded on July 23, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Anna and the Apocalypse - IMDb Anna and the Apocalypse trailer - YouTube Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - IMDb Oblivious to the Zombies | Shaun of the Dead - YouTube Scooby Doo, Where Are You? - IMDb Every "Meddling Kids" comment from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? - YouTube Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt - YouTube The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead | Max Brooks - Goodreads Learn how to protect yourself from the inevitable zombie apocalypse with this informative and entertaining guide. From the son of famed filmmaker, Mel Brooks! Follow Us: | |||
| 13 Sep 2021 | The Royal Tenenbaums | 00:56:42 | |
On the podcast this time, Stabby Steven and Sean are moving back home and dealing with some serious family issues in the 2001 film from Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums. I can’t even begin to imagine what the Thanksgiving dinners at the Tenenbaums must have been like. The holidays are a stressful time for a normal family, much less one that’s probably pictured next to the dictionary definition of “dysfunction.” Imagine what that must have been like: sullen children wishing they could be anywhere else, a mother weighed down by her husband’s behavior, and a father who’s critiquing how dry the turkey is even as he insists on cutting and serving it himself. That’s not a holiday of which I would want to be a part. And yet, Owen Wilson’s character, Eli Cash, wanted nothing more than to be a Tenenbaum. Different strokes, I guess. When you’re brought up and heralded by the media as a child geniuses—nay, part of a trio of family geniuses—then there’s bound to be something a little off with you. Speaking of which, dear listener of this podcast, if you were a child genius or savant of some sort, please write in and tell us about your life. We’d love to hear your tale. We imagine it’s probably similar to what the Tenenbaum children—Richie, Chas, and the adopted daughter, Margot—had to endure. Talk about pressure! It’s no wonder that all three of them cracked in their own ways. Frankly, I’d be surprised if any of them turned out to be “normal.” Now that would be worth some serious attention. None of this is helped by their asshole of a father, Royal. Ugh, that guy. It’s a damn shame that it took some serious family tragedy for him to snap out of himself and appreciate what he has. He probably could have saved his marriage if he had done that sooner. All of this nonsense makes for a captivating, fun, and endlessly watchable film. It’s something that keeps rewarding you. Your first viewing will be a unique and enviable experience. Your tenth viewing will be just as enjoyable. Maybe some of the surprises will be gone, but there’s enough depth here to draw you in as few films can. (Recorded on July 19, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Royal Tenenbaums trailer - YouTube | |||
| 20 Jun 2022 | Aliens | 00:51:45 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are making our way back to an alien infested planet for some damn reason even though there’s not really any sensible reason to when you get right down to it in the 1986 film from James Cameron, Aliens. Full disclosure, I’m not someone who has seen all of the Alien films. Notably, I’m missing out on the third and fourth ones in the long-running series. That being said, when the hell are people going to start listening to Sigourney Weaver? As far as I can tell, she’s there to be ridiculed and brushed off. “Look at that dopey science nerd telling us not to go investigate the killing ground of a possible murderous alien! Who cares if she might have tussled with one of those things? First, she’s a woman, and second, doesn’t she see how big our guns are?” I’m assuming that’s how the conversation would have gone. It seems that sexism is alive and well in the Alien universe, despite space travel being a normal and boring thing. On the other hand, this is a pretty dang good action film that stays true to the spirit of the first film. That James Cameron sure knows how to make a thrilling piece of entertainment. I think he’ll be going places. (Recorded on April 8, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Making of Aliens | J. W. Rinzler - Bookshop.org Alien vs. Predator (2004) - IMDb | |||
| 27 Jun 2022 | The Meg | 00:38:28 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are doing what a whole lot more people should be doing: Doing what Jason Statham tells us to do and staying out of the water. It’s the 2018 film from Jon Turteltaub, The Meg. Some of you may think he’s just some English meathead who’s been in a few excellent Guy Ritchie films and a whole lot more terrible films from other directors. What you may not know is he’s secretly a genius oceanographer and deep sea diver. You think I’m making things up? I think you’re not giving the great Statham the credit he so rightly deserves! He saved all of our lives from an enormous, nearly unstoppable megalodon shark and you have the temerity to deny him his bona fides? How dare you. This is just another example of how hard the prettiest and richest people in the world have it. You have no idea. We’ve got an action film hero who just wants to demonstrate his love of the deep, blue sea and a bunch of armchair critics are demanding that he stay in his lane. Well, not this guy! I’m 100% in camp Statham. When the next installment in the obviously a documentary series, The Meg 2: The Trench, comes out in 2023, I’ll be there celebrating this great man’s wonderful scientific achievements. Because that’s what a real fan does. (Recorded on April 8, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Sharknado (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb Sharknado | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Meg 2: The Trench (2023) - IMDb The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) - IMDb The Suicide Squad (2021) - IMDb Flashpoint (comics) - Wikipedia Follow Us: | |||
| 23 Mar 2020 | Outbreak | 00:53:05 | |
An important note: do you feel that you need someone to talk with during all this craziness? Please feel free to give our Instagram, Twitter, or email a message. We’re happy to give you a friendly and caring ear. On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are biting our freshly washed nails in the monkey-biting Wolfgang Petersen film, Outbreak. Is the world bursting into flames around us? Nah, not really, but it got pretty dang close in this film. Outbreak was released in 1995 and has proven to be pretty prescient for these current times. What is always timeless, though, are Steven’s puns. The show opens with several and they don’t let up. We’re, uh, we’re not sorry about them. As Steven mentions, this movie is a good example of following protocol and also a fantastic example of people who really should listen to authority a whole lot more. As it can do, life imitates art. Speaking of, we’re a little upset with the general lack of sense in our real-life world when it comes to washing your hands and not hoarding the supplies that we all need. Seriously people, be cool! There are people in the world that need the toilet paper and soap more than the awful hoarders do. Shame on them. Shame! From its intense melodrama to the harrowing suspense of trying to save an entire city from a terrible end, Outbreak does a good job of drawing you in and keeping you on the edge of that seat you’re sitting on. It can be a tough film to watch when so much in the world seems uncertain, but if you’re up for it, you really can’t do any better. So fair warning about that and also about the significant Kevin Spacey presence in this one. We know… We know. Also, if Donald Sutherland suddenly shows up in your city wearing military fatigues, run. Run away as fast as you can. He’s going to try to blow up your city. (Recorded on March 18, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 In the Wake of the Coronavirus, Here's Why Americans Are Hoarding Toilet | |||
| 27 Apr 2020 | John Q | 00:41:14 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are taking matters into their own hands with the tense Nick Cassavetes film, John Q. In a movie that could probably only happen in the U.S., Denzel Washington holds up an entire hospital emergency room because their kid is dying and they’re not wealthy enough to be cared for by insurance companies. How is any of that okay? Answer: it’s not. Podcast-wise, Sean starts things off by inquiring from Steven what this movie means to him. This one is a Steven suggestion, and a particularly heavy one, so Sean wanted to know what sort of role this movie played in his dear co-host’s life. This leads into an impassioned discussion about the real world parallels that this movie displays, and also poking some fun at some of the more ridiculous hostages in the film. Speaking of those hostages, it’s a good time to remind everyone that abuse of any kind isn’t good and should really lead to a macing in the face. Every single time. Sean has some opposing feelings about the movie. Folks, he’s got some thoughts about this one before remembering that this is just a movie and maybe there are better things to feel upset about. Like the sorry reality of healthcare in the U.S. or how much of a jerk face Ray Liotta is in this one. Man, what a jerk face! But what a committed performance by Denzel Washington! Is it any wonder why he’s one of the all-time greats? He helped give this movie the gravitas it needed. His performance alone is reason enough to watch John Q. Hats off to him. (Recorded on March 3, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 | |||
| 17 May 2021 | The Wild Bunch | 00:46:41 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are… murdering everyone who crosses us because we’ve got a taste for that sweet seductress known as gold and no one’s going to stop us from getting all that we can? We’re talking about Sam Peckinpah’s film from 1969, The Wild Bunch. Safe to say that introduction went off the rails pretty dang quick. However, I think you could say the same thing about this film. You think you’re going in to watch a fun western, maybe it’s like any other western you’ve seen, and then suddenly a firefight explodes, civilians are being senselessly murdered, and the good guys are actually the bad guys! It’s crazy and it doesn’t let up. The film does present a peculiar dilemma for an audience, though. Our main characters, led by the brilliant William Holden and Ernest Borgnine, are not the type of people that usually lead a film. We’re so accustomed to rooting for the central characters in a film, and then this one turns that habit on its head. They’re brash, violent, and greedy men. They’re also addicted to big scores. These qualities make for some pretty despicable human beings. It leads us to a strange conundrum: do we dare root for the outlaws who are willing to use innocent people as human shields in their quest for glory and riches? That’s a hard question to answer. You’ll reach the end and wonder about what the hell you just watched. I mean, we were a little bummed about the fate that befell these aging criminals by the time the credits rolled. We’d just spent nearly two and a half hours with them. That’s a long time to spend with someone, and then you remember that they’re unapologetic murderers. It’s surely one of the earliest antihero films, and paved the way for many similar stories that have been told since this one’s release. If you’ve ever watched something like Breaking Bad or Taxi Driver, then you can witness the indelible mark on film history that The Wild Bunch has left (even if it is a tough watch at times). (Recorded on March 29, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Wild Bunch trailer - YouTube (For your viewing pleasure, here’s funny man/podcaster, Matt Gourley, living out his lifelong dream of being gunned down in a hail of fake machine gun bullets while squibs are exploding all over his body.) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - IMDb Wealth, shown to scale | Matt Korostoff - Github (Need further proof that Jeff Bezos is an | |||
| 14 Jun 2021 | Shoplifters | 00:47:50 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are, um, kidnapping kids and stealing so much stuff from our local grocers? That sounds pretty bad. We’re talking all about it in this week’s episode about Hirokazu Koreeda’s film from 2018, Shoplifters. Yeah, there’s a kidnapping that happens here. Would it help at all if I told you that the titular family at the heart of this story took in a young girl because she was being neglected and abused at her home? And also that she’s with a family that clearly loves her a whole lot? I hope it will help because that’s all I’ve got. Look, this is a film full of gray areas. Hell, the entire film is a gray area. This family isn’t exactly what it appears to be. There’s a lot of stuff going on under the surface. All of it is surprising. Some of it is a little troubling. A few moments might even make you gasp. Whoever would have guessed this film would turn out the way it did after looking at its poster? Check out the link to its IMDb page down in the links area to see what I mean. There’s something to be said about the love that’s shared between family members, especially if it’s a family you make and not just one you’re born into. When you choose whom you love and spend your time with, it can mean just as much as a family to which you have a direct relation. Some might argue that it can be a stronger bond, and I don’t think I’d disagree with that view. This film has a story that’s filled with murky decisions made for tough reasons. It’s no wonder that it won the freaking Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar. It’s rare to find a film with such complex depth to it, and when you do you’d better give it all the accolades it very much deserves. Since watching Shoplifters, it’s stuck in our minds. It’s sneaky that way. It gets inside you and just doesn’t want to let go. It’s not the cheeriest movie ever made—we’re not going to lie about that—but it’s safe to say that it’s an important film. It’s a work of art that demands your attention, your emotions, and your critical thoughts. It’s a lasting masterpiece. (Recorded on April 26, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Cannes Film Festival - Wikipedia Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 09 Aug 2021 | An American Tail | 00:49:17 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are on our way to America where there are surely, definitely, um, maybe no cats in the 1986 film from Don Bluth, An American Tail. Imagine leaving your home in a freezing part of Russia because of terrorizing cats, traveling all the way to America for a better, cat-free life, and you end up finding out that there are indeed cats there, too. Not just any regular cat, but crafty and conniving cats. Isn’t that how it always goes? And mid-way through your perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean, you lose your beloved mouse son to the raging sea. There’s seemingly no hope of saving him and now you’ve got to live a depressed life because your dear boy is gone. All the while, you need to find a way to provide for your family in this new, huge, scary country. Everything is rife with uncertainty. You task yourself with doing anything you can to give your family that good ol’ “American Dream” that you hear so many people talking about. There are just so many opportunities in this new land! Anything would probably be better than where you came from, but you’re having to start from nothing. That’s always a scary situation. In your heart, you know that all this would be better if you just had your dearly missed son. Yeah, that’s An American Tail. While all this is happening, your son is mostly okay, but he’s also depressed and getting into such terrible trouble. He’s also wondering if he’ll ever get to see his family again as he’s running from murderous cats. From the cover of this movie, you wouldn’t think that it’s such a harrowing tale of early American immigration and isolation, but you’d be wrong! Get ready for a deep, complex, and necessary history lesson. Oh, and it’s all told by mice. (Recorded on June 14, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: An American Tail trailer - YouTube The Great Mouse Detective - IMDb An American Tail: Fievel Goes West - IMDb | |||
| 02 May 2022 | Bad Boys | 00:41:03 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are just blowing crap up in the 1995 film from Michael Bay, Bad Boys. I’m curious, is this another one of those mix-‘em-ups that could be solved by sitting down and having a clear and calm conversation with all parties involved? Not with the vaguely European bad guys. Those punks aren’t going to listen to anybody. They’re all about the drug money. But the situation with Mike, Marcus, and Julie—couldn’t everything be cleared up by brewing some coffee, taking it easy for a bit, and explaining that Mike and Marcus are the opposite of who she thinks they are? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, right? Or is that just me being a grump? Maybe I’ve seen too many films that are full of dumb people who need to learn how to communicate a heck of a lot better? Whatever the case may be, none of it actually matters. This is a Michael Bay film, dear friends. The only thing that does matter is his pathological, fetishistic need to see shit blow up! BANG! POW! BLAM! Michael Bay needs those KABOOMS! and he needs them now! (Recorded on March 04, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Bad Boys for Life (2020) - IMDb Sharknado (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb Beast Wars: Transformers (TV Series 1996–1999) - IMDb Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (TV Series 1995–1999) - IMDb Xena: Warrior Princess (TV Series 1995–2001) - IMDb Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (TV Series 1993–1996) - IMDb Hawkeye (TV Mini Series 2021) - IMDb Seinfeld (TV Series 1989–1998) - IMDb | |||
| 01 Mar 2021 | Gravity | 00:46:15 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are calling out to ground control. Steven and Sean to ground control, we’ve stepped through the door and we’re floating in a most peculiar way. Ground control, the stars look very different today. Ground control, we’re talking about Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 film, Gravity. This film shows, in extensive, breathless detail, what’s easily one of my greatest fears. The thought of floating, weightless and untethered, into the dark, where I’ll slowly expire and remain for all eternity is enough to give me chills. We tip our hats to all the filmmakers involved with this one because it’s a clear masterwork, but damn is it a tense film. Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone on her first space mission. She’s up there with a small crew to make essential repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope. Among the crew is the wise-cracking Matt Kowalski, played with joy and professionalism by George Clooney. This is not his first space mission, indeed, he’s very close to setting a spacewalking record. Following the destruction of a Russian satellite, a wave of deadly debris rockets toward them, destroying the shuttle they’re attached to and killing everyone on the crew, save for Ryan and Matt. To survive and make it back to Earth, they’re going to have to float their way over first to the International Space Station and then the Tiangong space station. It’s a harrowing, butt-clenching journey that tests their will to live and shows them that there’s always a reason to survive. Also, it’s a frightening film. It hardly ever lets up for very long. If Stone isn’t narrowly avoiding small chunks of debris threatening to punch holes through her body, she’s on the verge of just giving it all up and killing herself. And who can blame her with all she’s going through? I can’t imagine what it must be like to wonder if every second that passes will be the last one you ever have. This entire movie is why I’m more than okay with not being an astronaut, or spending any time way out in the ocean for that matter. I plan on keeping both feet firmly planted on (mostly) friendly, trustworthy land for the rest of my life. Will I miss out on traveling through the universe and seeing amazing things? Probably, but then I’ve also seen enough Star Trek to know that advanced and dependable star ships are still prone to getting exploded by angry space aliens. I don’t want that either. What I want instead is to tell you that this film is wonderful. It’s a technical marvel; it deserves every accolade it received for its cinematography, visual effects, and sound work. It’s engrossing, terrifying, and jubilant. Sandra Bullock also gives one of the greatest performances ever. It’s a good film that’s sure to stick with you for a long time. (Recorded on January 04, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: | |||
| 13 Dec 2021 | Home Alone | 00:44:58 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are joined by special guest, Jenny Scott, to discuss child abandonment, home invasion, and life threatening booby traps in the 1990 film from Chris Columbus, Home Alone. One thing I’m wondering is if this movie could happen today, or is it an accident that could only be possible before the advent of cell phones and the internet? My sneaking suspicion is this wouldn’t be possible now. You could always be in easy contact with your child. More importantly, news of this incident would spread far and wide in an instant. You’d face social disgrace and probably have your face appear on several local news stations. “Tonight at 11:00, inept parent of young child ABANDONS them while going on holiday with rest of family. Boo! Hiss!” I think that’s the wrong tactic to take. It’s the inevitable one, sure, but look at all the good that young Kevin McAllister did during his family-less time:
Frankly, he’s a hero in my book. Now, I’m not suggesting that more parents leave their too-young children at home while they go gallivanting away in France. Intentionally doing that should land you on the local news. I think Kevin made it out all right, and if you raise your kids to be respectful and resourceful, then they’ll probably make it through even the worst situations. (Recorded on November 11, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Blast from the Past (1999) - IMDb 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) - IMDb Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) - IMDb How I Met Your Mother (TV Series 2005–2014) - IMDb Home Alone: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition - Amazon (This is the paint bucket collector’s edition set that Steven reveals during the episode. It is marvelous.) “Just Me In The House By Myself” starring Macaulay Culkin & Jack Dishel | :DRYVRS - YouTube | |||
| 01 Nov 2021 | The Place Beyond the Pines | 00:45:36 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are riding like lightning and crashing like thunder in the 2012 film from Derek Cianfrance, The Place Beyond the Pines. Three storylines. One film. A father and son tale for the ages. Coming this Sunday… Sunday… SUNDAY! to a podcast player near you, it’s a deep and complex film about a man who robs banks to help provide for the son he never knew he had. It’s about a cop whose split-second mistake turns his life upside down. It’s about the sons of these two men, looking to navigate their way through a broken and tumultuous world. In a word, it’s Gosling-tastic. The film suggests that our actions reverberate down through the generations. A sort of real-time, linear butterfly effect. Anyone who’s ever, well, done anything in their life can attest to the accuracy of the film. All of our actions have consequences. Sometimes they’re minor. Sometimes they shake the foundation of your life. In the case of the character, Avery, sometimes it turns you into a scheming politician with a wayward son. In Luke’s case, sometimes you bite the bullet and your son turns into a lost person who ventures into the world seeking identity and contentment. In our case, dear reader and listener, sometimes you get to watch and talk about an excellent film. A story that’s going to stick with you long after the end credits have finished rolling. A movie that might just zoom way up on your list of favorites. It’s just that affecting and strong. (Recorded on September 06, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Place Beyond the Pines - IMDb The Place Beyond the Pines trailer - YouTube A Million Ways to Die in the West - IMDb The Fast and the Furious - IMDb Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 28 Aug 2020 | Judge Dredd & Dredd | 00:40:41 | |
We’ve got a one-two punch of an episode for you. Today we’re comparing both Judge Dredd and Dredd. One movie came out in 1995; the other came out in 2012. Which one is great and which one is a bit of a stinker? Or maybe, just maybe, we’ll learn that they’re both pretty dang awesome. To cap things off, this is our monthly B-movie bonus episode, so prepare yourselves for something amazing. Most of the world has been decimated by nuclear war. Those who remain in sprawling, yet pretty cramped mega cities called… Mega-Cities. Outside the walls of the Mega-Cities lays a barren, scorched wasteland. Crime has run rampant in this new and horrifying future. No good beatniks feel emboldened to commit terrible deeds with impunity. It looks like a terrible place to live in. There’s only one force that can bring some sense of order to this brutal world, and that force is the law. The Judges are this future’s peacekeepers and they don’t answer to anybody… Except for the law. And they are the law, so they only answer to themselves. And the law. Better not break any laws because you could end up finding yourself staring down the business end of a voice-and-DNA-activated supergun. You don’t want to get on the Judge’s bad side because they’ve got itchy trigger fingers, no sense of humor, and a love for only one thing. You guessed it, the LAW. Sylvester Stallone plays Dredd in the first film. Karl Urban plays him in the second. What we’ve got going on here is a good, ol’ fashioned Dredd-off, folks. Two Judges enter. They both fight over who loves the law more. One Judge leaves. Who will it be? When it comes to our monthly B-movie episodes, there’s only one question we’re trying to answer by the end of them: is this movie brilliant or a blunder? This time we’ve got to aim that question at two movies. How will Judge Dredd and Dredd hold up? In this post-apocalyptic podcast world we’re finding ourselves in, it’s our sworn duty to determine a proper ranking for these movies. After all, it is the law. (Recorded on July 2, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Demolition Man | More Movies Please! - Libsyn | |||
| 27 Mar 2020 | Snakes on a Plane | 00:33:24 | |
An important note: do you feel that you need someone to talk to with all this pandemic craziness going on? Please feel free to give our Instagram, Twitter, or email a message. We’re happy to give you a friendly and caring ear. On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are getting these motherfucking snakes off this motherfucking plane in the snake-filled David R. Ellis snake film about plane snakes, Snakes on a Plane. Did we mention there are snakes? Loads and loads of blood-thirsty snakes? We kick off the inaugural episode of our monthly b-movie series with a movie that will go down in the annals of history as a film that’s clearly as fine as Citizen Kane, but with a whole lot less sleds. We talk about what constitutes a b-movie for a bit. We’re pretty much in agreement with what it means to attain that fabled classification. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean we’re going to be happy with what we’re going to subject ourselves to in the future. But back to the plane. We marvel about how enjoyable this movie actually is despite it being something of a joke for most people. It may not have won any awards, but dang if this wasn’t a fun and silly movie. It’s a respectable hour and forty-five minutes and didn’t actually feel that long. Our hats are off to the always wonderful Samuel L. Jackson for helping to elevate this one to great heights and give it some legitimacy. If it weren’t for him, this would just be a movie full of dinguses who can’t keep themselves from being eaten. In a movie about actual snakes on an actual plane, it had a decent look and some fine sound design to it. Say what you will about the story, this film was actually technically well-made. Let it never be said that a ridiculous film can’t shine bright. Snakes! (Recorded on March 25, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 Tucker and Dale vs Evil - IMDb Birdemic: Shock and Terror - IMDb Snakes on a Plane - Box Office Mojo There’s a button on that microwave that says “Snake.” Microwave manufacturers, why isn’t this a universal feature? Are you trying to get us all killed by snakes? | |||
| 20 Apr 2020 | Enemy | 00:36:30 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are melting our brains with the creepy Denis Villeneuve film, Enemy. We discover right off the bat that this probably isn’t the movie you want to watch while you’re at work. Not in the least. Throw on something from Disney+ if you want to watch something while you’re supposed to be working because Enemy ain’t it. Theories abound between us with this movie. Why are there two Jake Gyllenhaals? Are there two Jake Gyllenhaals? Why is Canada so yellow? And what the heck is up with the spiders? Arachnophobes, for the love of Jake, stay away from this movie! Sean is schooled by Steven by some of the finer points of the mystery surrounding Jake Gyllenhaal’s characters in this movie. Or is it character, singular? This growing realization about the characters in this movie blew our minds and we’re pretty sure it’s going to blow your mind, too. Be sure to wear a hat, friend. Enemy is a fascinating movie made by a director that, even as he was just beginning to get noticed by the greater film world, is clearly just showing off. This movie is tense, mysterious, gorgeous to look at, and incredibly well-acted. Jump on into this one and try to puzzle it out with us. (Recorded on February 25, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 The exact image of us trying to figure out what was happening in this movie. Revisiting the Ending of Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy, Spiders and All - Vulture Creepy Crawlers commercial - YouTube Give the trailer for this film a watch to see why we’re commenting on just how weirdly yellow this film is. | |||
| 06 Dec 2021 | Happiest Season | 01:04:56 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are joined by Sean’s wonderful and long-time friend, Lee! We’re all continuing to bring as much holiday cheer as we possibly can by chatting about the 2020 relationship comedy/drama from Clea DuVall, Happiest Season. When I say “drama,” I mean drama. This is the sort of holiday family gathering that becomes legendary, the talk of the town, a December to remember! Maybe it would feel like a day that you’d want to forget, but it’s also a family gathering that’s all about catharsis and telling your world who you really are. Harper, one of three kids in the popular and very visible Caldwell family, invites her girlfriend, Abby Holland, to her family’s lavish home for the holidays. Initially a cause for nervous celebration, the entire mood of the trip becomes tense and fraught with disaster when Abby finds out that Harper has lied about coming out to her parents. What did I tell you? A powder keg on the very brink of exploding already, right? Harper is the golden child of her family, much to at least one of her sisters’ chagrin. The pressure of her parents’ expectations and her dad’s campaigning to become mayor of the town makes for an atmosphere that Abby never wanted to be a part of. She just wanted a nice, welcoming vacation away from the pressures of the world. The unwanted duty of managing her girlfriend’s stress and feeling like even more of an outsider puts real stress on their relationship. Everything comes to a head during the Caldwells’ annual Christmas Eve party. Did I say there would be drama? Because, oh boy, is there ever drama. But hey, there’s also a great amount of humor and love in this film. It’s got a touching story and is just a delight from beginning to end. Enjoy this one, and happy holidays! (Recorded on November 11, 2021) Be Sure to Follow Lee: (This is the podcast that Lee and Sean do together. There’s a lot out there to stream, and they’re trying to stream it all!) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Happiest Season trailer - YouTube Moonbeam City (TV Series 2015) - IMDb Independence Day (1996) - IMDb | |||
| 30 Oct 2020 | Army of Darkness | 00:54:44 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are bringing the band back together again and it is glorious. We’ve got a special guest coming along this film journey with us today. It’s the one and only Greg Dengler! It’s a good thing he’s here with us because we’ve got a legion of Deadites to smite back into the netherworld in the Sam Raimi film from 1992, Army of Darkness. Don’t you just hate it when you narrowly escape from murderous demons who want to do what they do best only to find yourself sucked way back in time when you have to destroy an army of… murderous demons who want you dead? Mondays, am I right? If your name is Ash, then you’re probably well acquainted with that unfortunate conundrum. Dude just wanted to spend some sexy time with his special lady friend out in a spooky cabin in the woods and this is what he’s got to deal with? Can’t the dude ever catch a break? Oh, he’s got to find an ancient evil book, bound in human skin and written in blood, and deftly perform a deceptively tough ritual with it to send all the baddies back to hell where they belong? Anything else you want this poor, beleaguered man to do? He’s totally up to the task, though. I mean, the dude (momentarily) has a chainsaw for an arm. If anyone can squash the minions of darkness, it’s a guy with logging gear strapped onto him. We had a wonderful time watching this one with Greg. His deep knowledge of filmmaking and cult movies makes for a fascinating conversation about one of Sam Raimi’s earlier works. We loved watching a filmmaker like Raimi really come into his own with this film. His storytelling and production confidence are on full display here. It’s no wonder that he’s become one of the most respected directors working today. If you’re looking for a spooky good time, and a stellar B-movie, then you’ve come to the right place. Just be sure not to forget your boom stick. (Recorded on September 10, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Army of Darkness trailer - YouTube Deadite | Evil Dead Wiki - Fandom If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell - Goodreads Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor - Goodreads | |||
| 08 Mar 2021 | Leon: The Professional | 00:54:08 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are teaching our young protégé the fine art of contract killing in the 1994 film from Luc Besson, Leon: The Professional. If I ever meet Gary Oldman, I don’t know if I’ll be frightened, starstruck, or some combination of the two. He’s an amazing actor and steals the spotlight every time he’s onscreen in this one. He also plays a murderous psychopath who also happens to work for the police. Dude is intense. Gary—I’m going to call him just Gary—is probably a sweet man who wouldn’t hurt a fly in real life, though. Still, he can tap into something raging and dark. The man knows how to be intimidating. On the flip side, you’ve got Jean Reno and Natalie Portman playing equally dangerous characters. Yet, I don’t feel nearly as intimidated by them. Their characters mean well, so long as you don’t cross them. I bet they’re probably pretty swell in real life, too. These wonderful actors come together to make one hell of a film. This one can rightly be called a classic. It’s a paragon of action filmmaking that continues to influence films made even now. That’s a tough feat to accomplish. Reno plays Leon, a killer-for-hire. Portman plays Mathilda, a young girl whose family (most importantly her younger brother) is murdered by Stansfield, played by Oldman. Leon saves Mathilda’s life, but she wants revenge. He teaches her how he fulfills his contracts. Things get, shall we say, dicey when Stansfield figures out who’s after him. Yes, this film is problematic. We’ll be among the first to say it. The relationship between Mathilda and Leon is creepy at best. Does anything extremely untoward happen onscreen? No, but that doesn’t change the fact that the film depicts a twelve-year-old falling in sexually charged, pre-teen love with the man who’s teaching her how to murder people. This aspect of the film has not aged well. It’s also still a good action film. If for no other reason, watch it for Oldman and all the explosions. (Recorded on January 18, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Leon: The Professional trailer - YouTube Dick Grayson | Batman Wiki - Fandom (This is the channel that does all the Super Power Beat Down videos that Steven referenced.) | |||
| 30 Nov 2020 | The Sting | 00:53:36 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are dusting off their finest pin-striped suits and concocting a foolproof plan to win big with this week’s episode. It’s the 1973 film from George Roy Hill, The Sting. Is there anything better than a Paul Newman-Robert Redford team-up? This one and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid goes to show us all that those two make some serious magic when they’re on-screen together. We love their work and wish they could have co-starred in at least one more film, but sadly ’tis not in the cards for us. We’ll always have those two, though. They’re satisfying enough. In this film, we’ve got one of the greatest cons ever set to film. Who doesn’t love to pull a fast one over on ol’ Robert Shaw? If you’re anything like Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker, then you’re going to delight in taking advantage of him. Did he have it coming? Well yeah! Dude killed Johnny’s good friend, Luther Coleman. Of course he had it coming, and he deserved a hell of a lot more. He lost a bunch of money; Luther lost his life. How is that fair? What a damn shame. Amid all this is a con artist story like you dream about. This is one of those classic films that so many others have tried to emulate. Most of them aren’t successful. It’s hard enough to capture lightning in a bottle once, and it’s danged near impossible to do it twice. The significance of The Sting reverberates throughout film history. Without it, we’d miss out on so many other thrilling stories. We loved watching this film unfold, sometimes getting conned ourselves. It’s the sort of story that film lovers want to experience. If you enjoy watching a great movie with a stellar cast, confident writing, and wonderful direction, this is sure to be a good one for you. (Recorded on October 05, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope - IMDb Raiders of the Lost Ark - IMDb Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - IMDb The Invisible Man - Art of the Title | |||
| 26 Jul 2021 | Capernaum | 00:58:46 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are once again joined by the fantastic Eimanne El Zein. This time, we’re trading in the absurd hilarity of The Room and getting into a deep conversation about a sobering 2018 film from Nadine Labaki, Capernaum. Get ready for a tough film. You know us. We’re not going to sugarcoat things for you. This film is challenging, rough, and sad. Most of the film will feel like a grand and real tragedy, and in many ways it is. This is not a fantasy film; there are too many people living a grueling and desperate life like that of Zain. It’s happening right now as you listen to this episode. I’ll let you know now, though—there’s some redemption at the end. There’s a glimmer of much-needed hope. Like finding a pool of water after being lost in the blazing desert for days, the ending is restorative. To get there, you have to cross through a river of agonizing emotions. On the plus side, we’ve also got a wonderful guest to help us navigate those waters. At least there’s that. We talk about it in the podcast, but it should be put into writing here. The performance that first-time actor, Zain Al Rafeea, give is astonishing. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. There’s an authenticity and rawness with which he imbues his character. It would be an astonishing feat for any actor, but when the person in question is a child? That brings on a new level of admiration. His performance is well worth the heaviness of this film. There’s a lot to be troubled by with this story’s subject matter. Extreme poverty, lack of compassion, and neglect for human life are a lot to take. We all think it’s a necessary film, though. It’s all too easy to forget that our lives are probably better than we think they are. We lack the perspective we need to appreciate our lives to the fullest. This film can give that very necessary shot of perspective. It’s powerful and worth anyone’s time. (Recorded on June 07, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Amy Saves Starship UK | Doctor Who - YouTube Boluwatife Treasure Bankole - IMDb Follow Eimanne: Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 26 Nov 2021 | The VelociPastor | 00:42:40 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are joined by extra special guest, Greg Vander Velde (of our A Low Down Dirty Shame episode fame), as we all become the prehistoric animal raging inside us all with the Brendan Steere film from 2018, The VelociPastor. Have you ever had an experience, let’s call it a “holy” experience (to stay on brand), that makes you question so much of what you know? You think you understand movies, what makes them good, and why the bad ones are just not worth your time. Your life is running smoothly in one happy direction and then BAM! you’re blindsided by a creation so unique that your entire life needs to change. You’re the modern Paul, becoming all Jesus-loving while on the road to Damascus. And what does it? Why, a stupid movie about a priest who can transform, seemingly at will, into a large dinosaur and must defeat loads of questionably sourced ninjas while gettin’ it on with the aforementioned hooker-doctor-lawyer. Yep, like a tale right out of the Bible. It’s so universal! Like many of the other terrible movies we’ve watched for this show, we recommend that you view this with a friend. Somehow, there’s some high-level movie-making going on here, but that’s all sandwiched between two hearty loaves of absolute nonsense. The weird bits go down smoother when you’ve got someone else to enjoy the journey with. This being a B-movie bonus episode, listen in to discover how we rated this… masterpiece? Did we consider it a blunder of a film? Was it a flunder? Or perchance did we bestow upon it the highest ranking we have: brilliant? (Recorded on September 20, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The VelociPastor trailer - YouTube The VelociPastor Trailer (2011 short film) - YouTube The Last Airbender (2010) - IMDb Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series 2005–2008) - IMDb Lady in the Water (2006) - IMDb Sharknado (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb Scrubs (TV Series 2001–2010) - IMDb Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004) - IMDb Viral Hit ‘The VelociPastor’ to Get LGBTQ+ Vampire Horror Seque | |||
| 11 Oct 2021 | 1408 | 00:44:16 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are facing our past indiscretions that are brought to the fore by a murderous hotel room in the 2007 film from Mikael Håfström, 1408. Word to the wise: if you ever happen upon a hotel in your future travels and you notice that Samuel L. Jackson is managing it (for some reason), then you listen to what he tells you. Heed his advice, damn it! Either that or run far, far away. He might be an actor we all know and love, but in this case, he’s managing a hotel that’s haunted in the worst way possible. We can’t stress this enough. You will die in his hotel. I don’t think this is any failing in him as a person, necessarily. Mr. Jackson seems like a relatively amiable fellow. He’s probably quite generous. You know he’s got a million amazing stories to tell. That man’s life is an enviable whirlwind of show business, traveling, and… I don’t know, extreme golf playing? Is he a fan of golf? Regardless, his hotel wants to kill people. It’s straight-up murder. Now that I think about it some more, he’s not doing as much as he possibly can to dissuade people from staying in his murder room. Why even change the sheets? Who says you have to go in there for that nonsense? Why not stick up an impressive wall in front of the door? Block it off, throw away the key, and forget about it forever. You know, now that I’m writing all these words, I’m beginning to think that he sure could do more to have kept John Cusack out of that room. Sure, he tried to keep Cusack out of there, but there was clearly more that could have been done. I’m calling it: Samuel L. Jackson wanted John Cusack to die. Jackson and 1408 are in cahoots! What a damn shame. Someone needs to stop this monster before he kills again. (Recorded on August 16, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: 1408 Director’s Cut ending - YouTube 1408 Theatrical Cut ending - YouTube The Room | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Film locations for 1408 - Movie-Locations Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 18 May 2020 | The Rover | 00:50:06 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are violently getting our treasured car back while talking about the post-apocalyptic David Michôd film, The Rover. An announcement: Ahem. After seeing this movie, we’ll no longer be taking any criticisms of Robert Pattinson as a person or an actor. Well, assuming he doesn’t do anything crazy like star in another Twilight movie. That’s the only time we’ll accept that now. Otherwise, he’s one of the best. Onward to the film! This gritty, sparse, powerful film. The Rover may be slow moving, but it’s not light on the action or the drama. It’s a moving story about a man and his search for... a car. Doesn’t get much more intense than that, friends. Don’t worry, though, because we’re going to break down all the actual goodness in this film. From insane car crashes to intense gunfights to the tensest of interpersonal drama, this one has a whole lot going for it. This all includes a phenomenal pair of performances by Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. Plus, this is one of those films you can impress really your movie-loving friends with. We loved the stark and grainy look of The Rover, which coupled very well with a heavy and perfect soundscape. It ticks all of our boxes. (Recorded on April 1, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 More Movies Please! - Instagram What do guns really sound like? - YouTube Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - IMDb Archer Elevator Mawp - YouTube The Story Behind Heath Ledger’s Joker Transformation - UPROXX ‘The Rover’ Cinematographer Talks Filming Pearce and Pattinson - IndieWire The Lighthouse on More Movies Please! - Apple Podcasts An incredible Brussels sprouts recipe that everyone should try Seriously, if you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, then you probably just haven’t had the right Brussels sprouts. | |||
| 09 May 2022 | The Good, the Bad, the Weird | 00:38:36 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are on the hunt for a mysterious hidden treasure and shooting at loads of people along the way with the 2008 film from Kim Jee-woon, The Good, the Bad, the Weird. Perhaps this film won’t be anything that breaks any new storytelling ground—it is a new version of the classic The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Sergio Leone. Given the history of spaghetti westerns liberally borrowing from other films, that one was also probably a retread of other things, too. There’s nothing original anymore; all the stories have been told. What matters now is telling familiar stories in fresh ways. Friend, this one tells a familiar story in the freshest way imaginable. It’s a rollicking buddy-chase-shootout-caper western and that’s a fantastic combination of genres. Stick all those ingredients together and you’ve got a hell of a crazy stew going. What’s great about this one is its ability to surprise. You may be familiar with this story, but it’s still not going to be what you expect. There’s plenty of heavy emotion and blistering action. It’s a truly stellar film from South Korea. (Recorded on March 11, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Good, the Bad, the Weird - IMDb The Good, the Bad, the Weird trailer - YouTube The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - IMDb Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) - IMDb Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) - IMDb How Stunt Horses are Trained to Fall in the Movies - Horse Illustrated (Of course there’s a Horse Illustrated. I both do and don’t (but mostly don’t) want to see that swimsuit issue.) The Princess Bride (1987) - IMDb The Magnificent Seven (2016) - IMDb | |||
| 25 Dec 2020 | Jingle All the Way | 00:35:06 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are trampling neighbors, kicking asses, and blowing people up in this month’s festive B-movie bonus episode. We’re joining Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1996 film from Brian Levant, Jingle All the Way. Man, screw Sinbad. That guy’s nothing but a world of trouble. I mean, who the heck screws another father over for a toy, threatens to explode him with a bomb, and nearly kills a kid? All in pursuit of a Turbo Man action figure? Not cool, man. Not cool. I’m calling it here first—that guy is a menace and can go screw. If you ever see him walking down the street, you’d better find a doorway to duck into. Otherwise, you may be assaulted. Maybe. I mean, who knows? The guy’s probably a sweetheart, but his character in this film is a monster! I get it, you want to get your kid the hottest toy of the holiday season, but maybe you shouldn’t have waited until Christmas freaking Eve to do it? Maybe possibly? For that matter, what the heck is up with Arnold in this film? He pulled the same nonsense! Sure sure, there’s a lot of comedy and pratfalls to be had here, but let’s get down to the real issue: these fathers are neglecting their families and resorting to desperation, dishonesty, and violence. There was also a potential case of grand theft toy on display. How do you break into a neighbor’s home and try to steal the action figure they got their kid? That’s low, man. Maybe you should have done what they did and went shopping for toys earlier in the year. Sure, some of you may be thinking, “Hey guys, this is just a kid’s film. No need to get so up in arms over a fun bit of fiction. Get into the holiday spirit instead!” To that, we say, “Maybe you’re missing the bigger picture here!” This is a stark and damning portrayal of the horrors of the modern capitalist system in America. What, a man has to work his ass off all day, every day just to provide a decent life for his family, has to get into literal fights with other people in the hopes of claiming a neat toy, and gets into many harrowing scrapes with the law? And we’re just supposed to be okay with that? We say HELL NO to that! Down with that twisted vision of the present. This is a dark and distressing film about one man’s dogged pursuit to earn the love of his wife and son in a society that only wants to drive its boot heel deeper into our collective necks. We shouldn’t just accept this treatment! We should dream of a brighter, happier future for us all, and not just The Man. But hey, you’ve got Arnold’s always amazing accent, a drunk reindeer, and a happy ending, so I guess everything’s okay by the time the credits roll. There’s always that. Jeez… (Recorded on November 02, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: | |||
| 23 Aug 2021 | Wall Street | 00:55:43 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are becoming depraved, hollow husks of our normal selves as we sell our souls to the financial devil in Oliver Stone’s film from 1987, Wall Street. Bear with us for this one, because we hardly know half of what everyone’s talking about. We’re but humble podcasting fellows. Not the sort of fast-talking, free-wheeling Wall Street goons that would actually understand all the finer points of what’s going on between Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. To our credit, we’re not completely lost, but at times, enjoying and understanding this movie requires at least a Master’s degree in some sort of high finance. Heck, we have filmmaking degrees for crying out loud! What do we know about the trading floor, backroom deals, and cocaine-fueled ‘80s parties? What we do know is great acting, and Michael Douglas delivers like nobody’s business with this one. Is it any surprise that he won an Oscar for his performance as the conniving and slimy Gordon Gekko? He elevates a film that would otherwise have had the thrill and pace of a middle-of-the-road documentary. His seduction of Charlie Sheen’s character is so well-managed and ultimately so heartless that it’s clear why Sheen idolized the man. It’s also clear how he amassed as much power as he did. In the end, though, what we witness with this film is a work of prescience. The events fictionalized in this movie may have taken place in the ‘80s, but they’re as relevant now as ever. Cast your mind back to the global financial troubles that we all endured in 2008. Look at what’s happening these days. While this film may have taken place decades ago, its warnings are as current as ever. (Recorded on June 21, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Unions at The Ringer and Gimlet Media announce their first contracts. - The New York Times Eric Eddings on Twitter - Twitter (This is a searing and important perspective from someone who worked at Gimlet before and during the time of their Bon Appétit debacle. He was given the short shrift and was devalued as an employee and a person. His story is absolutely worth a read and your time.) | |||
| 25 Jun 2021 | The Transporter | 00:39:04 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are oiling ourselves up and driving around some ladies in Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen’s film from 2002, The Transporter. Oh, we’re also kicking some serious ass. Did I really say “oiling up”? Yeah, of course I did. Don’t you know what kind of film this masterpiece of cinema is? Don’t you understand that it stars the irrepressible Jason Statham, England’s greatest export since, I don’t know, Harry Potter and the forced colonization of a decent amount of the world? Don’t you know it’s produced by the utter madman known as Luc Besson? This movie has all of that. It also has a kidnapped Asian woman who is quickly attracted to her white knight savior and his pecs of titanium. It’s got every French film stereotype that can be fit into a film of this length, minus, of course, the baguette eating (although maybe that was happening in the background somewhere). It’s got an intense-looking and very rich Asian man pulling the strings above everything. You can rest assured that he’s menacing. This movie has every damn thing! Is there a troubling amount of the wrong kind of Asian representation in this film? Who the hell cares, apparently! This was the early 2000’s! Of course, our main actress is going to want to jump Statham within a day or two of meeting him. Who can blame her? I mean, I’m dead serious about Statham’s pecs. Sterling titanium, they are. I don’t know, a white guy is writing these words. Perhaps it’s not my place to decide what sort of representation is right or wrong for people of Asian descent. There are more and far better people than I that can comment on this subject. Those voices are out there. Go read a book, why don’t ya? What can I comment on? Well, this is our b-movie bonus episode, and it’s quite a blast, all things considered. There’s a reason they made two additional Statham-led Transporter films. This is the sort of breezy, action-packed movie that filmmakers excelled at making in the early part of this century. There’s very little substance to be found, but what it lacks in story and character development it makes up for in face-punching and skydiving onto movie semi trucks. Yeah, of course that happens! If you didn’t think it would, then you just don’t know what to expect from a film featuring Statham’s oily pecs. And no, I don’t have an unhealthy obsession with that man’s chest. You have the problem! Will The Transporter be brilliant, a blunder, or a flunder? Listen on to find out! (Recorded on May 10, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Transporter trailer - YouTube The Transporter Refueled - IMDb Transporter: The Series - IMDb | |||
| 13 Jun 2022 | Spy | 00:39:42 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are chewing gum and kicking bad guy asses… and we’re all out of gum in the 2015 film from Paul Feig, Spy. This film is a breath of fresh air. It’s a healing tonic when the world gets to be just too dang much. It’s a thrilling adventure story with amazing action, heartwarming friendship, and creepy Italian men. What more could a person want? I’ll tell you what I want: a sequel to this wonderful film! What the hell is happening out in Hollywood that a new adventure featuring the surprisingly badass Susan Cooper isn’t already a reality? It’s been years since this film came out. Give us a Spy 2, you cowards! I’d be willing to put some money down that everyone involved with this first film would love to do a second. Where are the speed bumps? What could possibly be slowing things down? Readers/listeners, rest assured that if I had movie producer levels of money, then I would make the sequel happen in a heartbeat. I don’t, unfortunately, but the spirit is there. Regardless, give us all more of this goodness. We deserve it after the last few years, wouldn’t you say? (Recorded on April 1, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Gilmore Girls (TV Series 2000–2007) - IMDb The Transporter | More Movies Please! - Libsyn The Tick (TV Series 2016–2019) - IMDb John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) - IMDb The Peter Serafinowicz Show (TV Series 2007–2008) - IMDb Freaks and Geeks (TV Series 1999–2000) - IMDb Follow Us: | |||
| 30 Jul 2021 | Deep Murder | 00:37:36 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are forcing ourselves to watch this month’s b-movie bonus episode, a 2019 travesty from Nick Corirossi called Deep Murder. … What the hell was wrong with this film? It’s a murder mystery porno without all the naked stuff? And it’s somehow both short and incredibly long (that’s what she said). And they got some recognizable names, but it’s still mostly a torturous, agonizing experience. You know what? I’m so incensed by this damn movie that I refuse to talk about it anymore. Watch it if you want, but don’t blame us for your mistakes! Was it brilliant or a blunder? Listen to the dang episode to find out. That’s it. I’m done with the description for this freaking thing. Sean out! (Recorded on May 24, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Harry and Marv | Villains Wiki - Fandom Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 24 Sep 2021 | Wild Wild West | 00:40:44 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are ridin’ into the sunset with the most rootinest-tootinest B-movie bonus episode on this side o’ the ol’ Mississipp. Saddle up, ‘cause we’re talkin’ ‘bout Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1999 film, Wild Wild West. Wild Wild West (Yeah!) [YEAH!] Jim West, desperado [Sean Anderson, ghostly podcast voice. Nice to meet ya.] Roughrider, you don’t want nada [Hey, don’t get so down on yourself. You’ve surely got lots to offer!] None of this, six-gunnin’ this, brother runnin’ this Well, actually (pushes glasses up nose), I believe it’s called a six-shooter. Not a six-gun. Actually, I don’t know anything about guns. Don’t listen to me.] Buffalo soldier, look, it’s like I told ya [I’ve got nothing for this. Buffalo Soldiers are a fascinating bit of United States history. It was a nickname originally given to members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment and came to be synonymous with all African-American regiments formed in 1866.] Any damsel that’s in distress [They’re gonna look at your butt, apparently.] Be outta that dress when she meet Jim West [Oh, I guess they’ll be doing more than just lookin’ at that butt. (Wink-wink.)] Roughneck, so go check the law and abide [Wait, what do oil rig workers have to do with this film? Did I black out between Kevin Kline talking about his supple bosoms and Branagh walking on mechanical spider legs inside a giant mechanical spider? What’s happening?] Watch your step or flex and get a hole in your side [Is that a threat?] Swallow your pride, don’t let your lip react [I think that’s a threat! Come on, man. I was supporting you a minute ago.] You don’t want to see my hand where my hip be at [What? You’re gonna shoot me now? What the hell?! Where is this animosity coming from? I’ve done nothing to you!] With Artemis, from the start of this, runnin’ the game [You leave Artemis Gordon out of this! You never supported him! What, you take down someone with the worst goatee ever and now you’re suddenly best buds? You didn’t earn his love, you son of a bitch!] James West, tamin’ the west, so remember the name [(BANG!) Ow! You shot me! You actually shot me! I’m not going to forget your name now, you bastard! James West, you just made yourself one hell of an enemy. I’ll be back. When you least expect it, I’ll be back. I’ll make you remember my name then! …Medic!] (Recorded on August 02, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Wild Wild West trailer - YouTube Inspector Gadget (TV Series 1983–1986) - IMDb | |||
| 25 Jan 2021 | Sorry to Bother You | 00:43:49 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are becoming horse-people—yes, freaking horse-people—in the thought-provoking, subversive 2018 film from Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You. It’s safe to say that this film wasn’t quite what we expected it to be. Did it seem like it would be an intelligent piece of satire that does what all good satire is capable of—shining a bright, damning light on a major problem with the world? You better believe that’s exactly what it was. Did it give any indication that Armie Hammer was turning human beings into strong, tireless horse-people for increased corporate efficiency? Nope! I can’t think of a single trailer that gave that particular tidbit away. That’s okay, though! If a trailer made for “mainstream” audiences gets more people watching this important film, then that’s a good thing. We should all be more aware of and empathetic towards the lives of our fellow human beings. And anyway, what film studio out there is going to risk losing money by showing off horse-people penises? Don’t hold your breath. The actual film, though… What a fascinating condemnation of corporate culture. It’s not making any attempts to hide the ass-kissing and moral depravity that seems to be required of a person who’s worth billions of dollars. It’s clear that we’re seeing analogs of the Zuckerbergs and Bezoses (Bezosi?) of the world in the Steve Lift character. You know, the greediest, most powerful, downright evilest human beings of modern society. This film depicts the backstabbing that corporate culture can demand and doesn’t flinch away from that horror. It’s saying you have to sacrifice pieces of your humanity if you want to “succeed” at life. Oh, and you’d better be a white person, or at least sound like one. Really, this film should be required viewing for, well, anyone with a soul. It can be tough sometimes, but that’s not a good enough reason to skip it. Challenging yourself is a good thing to do! Give this one a try and then remember that we’re all in this together. Let’s always have each other’s backs. (Recorded on December 07, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Sorry to Bother You trailer - YouTube Why is Mr. Blank’s name bleeped out in Sorry to Bother You? | Evelyn Shaller-Auslander - Medium (This is an interesting take on Mr. _______’s name and identity. I don’t know if it’s the truth, but it’s damn intriguing.) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - IMDb Roger Murtaugh is too old for this shit - YouTube Sorry to Bother You Ending, Explained: Boots Riley Explains Equis | |||
| 26 Apr 2021 | Lilo & Stitch | 00:49:53 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are learning what it means to be a true family, while also staving off an alien invasion in the film from Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, 2002’s Lilo & Stitch. If you even try to suggest that there’s a cuter being with more personality and destructive talents than Stitch somewhere out in the universe, then Steven might try to fight you. Seriously, dude’ll just straight up cut you. And who could blame him? Sean would back him up. I mean, have you even seen Stitch? Have you even seen this movie? If not, then you really should. It’ll make this episode more enjoyable. Give it a watch now; don’t worry, we’ll wait for you to come back. In the meantime, Sean’s totally agreeing with Steven. Stitch is the sort of out of control science experiment with an attitude that anyone can love. Lilo definitely fell in love with him the very first moment she saw him. Sure, she thought he was an adorable puppy, but who can hold that against her? She’s a lonely child who needs a best friend! It’s the other people in her life that needed to understand just how good Stitch can be. Nani and Bubbles were the problem here, along with the Grand Councilwoman and Captain Gantu. They needed to learn that ohana means family, damn it! And family means no one gets left behind! Hey, we get there, though. That’s the magic of this film. By the end of it, you’ll be rooting for Lilo and Stitch. You’ll want everyone to have a happy life together. You’ll want to see more of the lush and gorgeous artwork that this film is packed with. As we start wrapping up our current month of animated films, we couldn’t have picked a better one to watch and enjoy. This film is a delight, and enjoyable at any age. (Recorded on March 08, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Lilo & Stitch trailer - YouTube Superman: The Animated Series - IMDb Batman: The Animated Series - IMDb Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - IMDb Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch - IMDb Lilo & Stitch: The Series - IMDb The heartbreaking Pudge the Fish image Steven mentioned Captain America: Civil War - IMDb | |||
| 31 Dec 2021 | Rubber | 00:46:20 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are joined by a well-known excellent person, Greg Dengler, for the third time to talk about a sentient killer tire. What better way to celebrate our last B-movie bonus episode of 2021 than to talk about Quentin Dupieux’s 2010 film, Rubber? There is no better way, and there is no better person with whom to talk about this movie. What a surprise this one was! You would think that a film about a literal sentient killer car tire would be an awful, terrible, no good, horror of a film, but you’d be wrong in this case. In all other cases, you’d probably be right, but not this time! Nope, this film has depth and complexity that it should not rightly have. It’s a film with a stark message—one of the dangers of thoughtless film criticism, the devastating effects of social media run amuck, and a Hollywood machine carelessly crushing unique thought under its own metaphorical killer tires. One might call us crazy for talking about this film in such a fashion. To that we say, listen to this podcast and then give this film a try (or another try, if you’ve already seen it). We can just about guarantee that this movie is more than it appears. As is our fashion, by the end of this B-movie episode, Rubber will have been crowned with our ranking. Will it be brilliant, a blunder, or a flunder? Listen to find out. (Recorded on December 20, 2021) Follow Greg: Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Ankle Biters (Video 2002) - IMDb Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010) - IMDb Sharknado (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time (TV Movie 2018) - IMDb The VelociPastor (2018) - IMDb The Red Balloon (Short 1956) - IMDb Sharktopus (TV Movie 2010) - IMDb (“A detective interviews a monkey who is suspected of murder.” Yep, that’s a thing that was made.) Dexter (TV Series 2006–2013) - IMDb The Godfather: Part II (1974) - IMDb The Godfather: Part III (1990) - IMDb | |||
| 04 Jul 2022 | Independence Day | 00:46:43 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are saving the entire world from a massive alien invasion… yet again, in the Roland Emmerich film from 1996, Independence Day. What is it with aliens who are always trying to blow up our national monuments? To be frank, it’s a real jerk move, and they should all be ashamed. They should feel bad about trying to exterminate the entire human race, but our greatest buildings and structures? That’s going too far. I digress. Those are all just buildings and structures. The US Bank building in downtown L.A.? They can just build a new one. I would be surprised if there’s a lot of fascinating history there. It’s indicative of a larger problem, though: Why are we leaving ourselves so open to chaos and destruction caused by creatures from the stars? Where’s the global defense system that will save not only our landmarks, but our very lives? Is humanity so dispensable? Have we learned nothing from these movies? Write your Congressperson, folks. We need to get on this. (Also, this movie is still entertaining as heck.) (Recorded on April 22, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Independence Day trailer - YouTube The X-Files (TV Series 1993–2018) - IMDb Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) - IMDb Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - IMDb | |||
| 29 Jan 2021 | Big Game | 00:46:47 | |
Guess who’s back? Johnny’s back! And this time he’s trying to take over the entire show. It’s a mutiny! A coup d’état even! We shan’t let him get away with this. Nay, say we! We shall fight him on the beaches, we shall fight him in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight him in the hills; we shall never surrender! … Nah, we actually invited him back because it was so much fun talking with him last time about Inside Man. This time we’ve secured him for one of our B-movie bonus episodes! We’re talking about a pretty dang Finnish film that also happens to star Samuel L. Jackson. It’s the Jalmari Helander film from 2014, Big Game. What do you do when you’re a little Finnish boy who finds the President of the United States of America trapped in an Air Force One escape pod that’s crash-landed deep in the snowy woods of your homeland and immediately have some crazed terrorists and a bloodthirsty Secret Service member hunting you down? Well, you trek through dense forests, hike up snowy mountains, and get dangled from military-grade helicopters. You do everything you can to save the President. You shake loose the boy you once were and become the man you’ve always dreamt of becoming! Seriously, all that crazy stuff does happen. And it… is… amazing. If we ever find ourselves trapped in the frozen Finnish wilderness, we’re going to look for someone with a bow and arrow strapped to their back and determination burning in their heart. You’re guaranteed to make it out alive that way. When it comes to our monthly B-movie episodes, there’s only one question we’re trying to answer by the end: is this movie brilliant or a blunder? We’ll leave it to you to listen to the episode to find out. (Recorded on July 16, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Inside Man | More Movies Please! - Libsyn 15 surprising things you didn't know about 'Survivor' - Insider Battle of the Bastards | Game of Thrones - Fandom Sharktopus | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Snakes on a Plane | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Virgin birth of Jesus - Wikipedia Sean referred to this as the “immaculate conception” and he couldn’t have been more wrong. Sorry, Baby Jesus. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - IMDb Nuke Town Escape | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - YouTube | |||
| 24 Feb 2020 | Lets talk about Toy Story & Pixar | 00:50:05 | |
In the inaugural episode of More Movies Please!, Steven and Sean welcome any and all to join us as we set off on this podcasting adventure. We’re here to talk about our desire for more movies in our lives. Please! I mean, for the love of all this is well and good in this world, give us more movies. Steven and Sean spent a good long while getting a couple microphones set up on Steven’s coffee table, battled against Fourth of July fireworks, and tried to keep their backs from seizing up as they talked for a couple hours on Steven’s living room floor. The two had just seen the fourth installment in the Toy Story saga. Before settling into a conversation about Toy Story 4, they get sidetracked like crazy. They end up talking about nearly every other Pixar movie that’s been made instead of the one they just saw. There’s a lot of appreciation for Up and a bunch of wondering why Ratatouille isn’t talked about as much as the others. It’s all okay, though, because who doesn’t like a trip down memory lane with great movies from our pasts? Eventually, the podcasting wheels get back on track and they both get into the nitty and gritty of Toy Story 4. Their appreciation knows no bounds as they bounce back and forth between the major story points and the wonderful characters, both new and familiar. The hosts also toss in a heap of wisdom about age limits for movies and tv shows as well as the expectations we all set for the media that we love. Really, the back half of this episode comes down to loving what you love and probably learning to stay off Facebook and Twitter more often. Who needs to fill their lives with more of that nonsense anyway? There was a whole lot of spoilers happening before the advent of our spoiler warning idea came about, so if you haven’t seen Toy Story 4 (or any other Pixar movie) yet, then consider giving it a watch before listening to this one. Or if you’re rebelling against the whole spoiler warning culture, then listen away! (Recorded on July 4, 2019) Links and Show Notes: Anton Ego Tastes Ratatouille - YouTube The very scene when a mean food critic learns to lighten up and when Sean cried mightily in his home wh | |||
| 18 Apr 2022 | Alien | 00:42:40 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are running for our freaking lives in the 1979 film from Ridley Scott, Alien. Can we all assume that the evil corporation that dooms these poor cargo transporters is clearly Amazon or Facebook (sorry, Meta)? At least in this film, the corporation isn’t explicitly revealed, just that the crew communicates with a computer called “Mother.” So what else could it be? What other company devalues human life to this extent? Also, there are robots all over the place, and you can’t convince me that Zuckerberg isn’t one. It’s a shame that the poor crew of the Nostromo is being used as fodder to get this murderous creature back to the corporation. They’re merely sacrifices for weapon advancement. Human beings seen as nothing but cattle! And to what end? There’s no controlling this titular creature. Does the corporation think they’re going to give it some small treats and train it into submission like a little puppy? Nah, man, everyone’s going to die! To borrow a phrase from the sequel, “Game over, man!” That’s a lot, I know. I’m still just bummed about John Hurt. He didn’t have to go out that way. (Recorded on March 04, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Alien: Resurrection (1997) - IMDb Sharknado (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb Sharknado | More Movies Please! - libsyn Alien vs. Predator (2004) - IMDb Fear the Walking Dead (TV Series 2015– ) - IMDb Paranormal Activity (2007) - IMDb | |||
| 02 Nov 2020 | Inception | 00:56:04 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are going deep, deep, deep into our dreams in the 2010 film from Christopher Nolan, Inception. What more can be said about this film that hasn’t already been said? I mean, it’s Inception for crying out loud! Say what you will about the various Nolan Batmens, this might be the one that really put him on the map. In fact, we should probably start designating world time as B.I. and A.I.: Before Inception and After Inception. The world of this film is fascinating. It’s instantly recognizable, and yet it’s full of this future technology that allows people to slip into the dreams of others. It’s a testament to the writing prowess of Christopher Nolan that he’s able to construct this fantastic technology and make it seem like the most natural, obvious thing. With each new level these people travel to, the more we understand and believe this dream-sharing thing. By the end of it, we almost take it for granted. I mean, hats off to Nolan for that one. Is it any wonder that he was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award? We think not. We thought everything about this film was well done. It’s remarkable how adept Nolan is at being his own dream architect. We loved every performance given in this film. Seriously, there is no standout performance in it because they’re all standout performances. The cinematography is astounding; is it any wonder that D.P. Wally Pfister won an Oscar for this one? The soundscape is legendary and award-winning for a damn good reason. The visual effects are mind-blowing while also being completely believable…somehow. I mean, the city folding in on itself? How cool was that? This film, as with any other film, may have its flaws—exposition much?—but none of them feel like they’re enough to turn this into a chore to get through, much less a bad film. Nah, this one always goes by in an engrossing flash, and it’s two and a half hours long! If you haven’t seen it in a while, and especially if you haven’t ever seen it, then treat yourself to a trip down the dream rabbit hole. (Recorded on September 14, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Architecture of Inception infographic, by Rick Slusher - Fast Company This is a beautiful and elegant visual explanation of the dream levels in the film. You owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful bit of graphic design, even if you already know how the dream levels work. Inception Limited Edition Briefcase - Amazon Blade Runner (Five Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) - Amazon | |||
| 20 Sep 2021 | Another Earth | 00:46:05 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are trying to figure out how a massive celestial body doesn’t just completely screw up our planet in the Mike Cahill film from 2011, Another Earth. Friends, we’ve got a doozy for you here today. Not only is there a freaking second Earth zooming up right on the planet that we all know and inhabit, but there’s a pretty messed-up romantic drama afoot, as well. I’ve got to ask, say you’ve accidentally killed a person’s partner and their children. This is a purely hypothetical scenario, of course. You’ve destroyed this person’s life. They’re wallowing in abject misery and you’ve spent a good several years in prison for what you’ve done. After being released, who in their right mind would think that it’s okay to:
I guess the “right mind” bit is the crux of the issue here. Rhoda is clearly not in her right mind. She’s boiling within her own guilt and grief. Rational thought is not going to be something with which she’s graced. And yet… And yet. John should just be left alone. Surely, that’s something that should break through the fog and smack you right in the face. Grief is powerful and demanding, but wow. Leave the dude alone. He’s got enough to deal with; having to face the person who ruined his life is not something he wants. I think we can all agree on that. I suppose it made for some pretty chaotic drama, though. That’s always good in a movie. Oh, and there’s another Earth floating above our planet. It’s a mirror world or something. That’s also a thing. (Recorded on July 19, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Another Earth trailer - YouTube Bart vs. Australia | The Simpsons - IMDb What If Each Planet Replaced Our Moon? - What If The Russian Cosmonaut | Another Earth - YouTube Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - IMDb Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 04 Oct 2021 | Us | 00:58:57 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are hiding away all of our secret keys and keeping our evil doppelgängers from murdering us in the Jordan Peele film from 2019, Us. Hey folks, Evil Sean here. Wait, I’m supposed to have some sort of kooky name, right? Maybe something inspired by Roman mythology or other various theologies? Ummm, how about we go with Jove, because I’m just that into myself. So hey, Jove here. It’s become my duty to tell you all about two things:
The movie ended up being pretty great, and it inspired a passionate conversation between Not Evil Sean and who I’m assuming is Not Evil Steven. Who would have guessed that this film would get the words flowing as it did? On the other hand, isn’t that what all films that stand the test of time are capable of doing? If it’s not going to make for a good discussion, then why would it be featured here? As for the second item, I’m not too sorry to say that it’s going to happen and there’s not a lot that can be done about it. Look, you’ve been living on the surface for decades. We’ve been trapped underground, walking into walls, and eating nothing but raw rabbits. There’s a major disparity here with which you probably shouldn’t be too comfortable. I mean, I’m not trying to wag my finger too much at you here, but… Look, it’ll all be all right. We’re open to a peaceful sharing of the world. We’re not that greedy. Who are we, you? Nope, we’re here to talk and work something out. So look, get back to us. Don’t take too long. We’re patient—we’ve been waiting under your feet for many long years—but we’re not that patient, you know? Send a representative for the above-ground humans and let’s get this all worked out. I think we can all come to an amicable solution to this. Sincerely, Jove. (Recorded on August 16, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Hands Across America - Wikipedia Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 26 Mar 2021 | Starship Troopers | 00:48:39 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are defending Earth from a marauding swarm of murderous space bugs! Or is it that we’re the real monsters and the space bugs just want to live their buggy lives, raise a horde of their own little insect babies, and maybe retire to Shlergen-5 one day if their retirement accounts perform well enough? Either way, this week, we’re talking about the Paul Verhoeven film from 1997, Starship Troopers. Here’s what we’ve all got to look forward to in the future:
Weird, that list sounds all too familiar. Could it be the case that this film is actually a mirror being held up to our lives and society? Are we currently living in this Starship Troopers future world? Let’s see:
Oh, boy. That’s a lot of checks. Could it be the case that this film is actually a great satire aimed at humanity’s insistence on blowing up any opposition and certain countries’ fawning obsession with the military? Well, yeah. That’s the whole point of this film. Sure, there are loads of drama, butts and boobs, and grisly violence, but that’s just what’s on the surface. To get to the real meat of the story, you need to dig about as deep down as the bugs do for their labyrinthine, underground homes. When you get there, the story opens up and becomes a lot more than just what’s on-screen. Not only is this one a great b-movie for us to share, it’s also a great indictment of humanity’s lust for conquest and blood. Take that, us! (Recorded on January 25, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Starship Troopers trailer - YouTube UNSC Starship | Halo Alpha - Fandom | |||
| 30 May 2022 | Shoot ‘Em Up | 00:33:13 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are incapable of dying but are shooting everyone in every room we enter with the 2007 film from Michael Davis, Shoot ‘Em Up. Have you ever found yourself wondering how many ways a person can be killed by a partially munched-on carrot? Do we have a film for you! But the fun and games don’t stop there, folks! How many people can one unstoppable killing machine wipe off the face of this earth? Is it actually possible to shoot people dead while skydiving? What are the mechanics of murder while you’re having knock-down, bang-around sex? All these questions and more will be answered with this month’s B-movie bonus episode! Listen on to find out if we declare this film a blunder, a flunder, or the mythical BRILLIANT. (Recorded on March 18, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Shoot ‘Em Up trailer - YouTube Quentin Tarantino Tells Bill Maher He is Not Budging on Retirement - Variety Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) - IMDb Prince Albert Piercing: 3 Types, Sexual Benefits, Risks, Care, More - Healthline (Sean called this a “Prince Edward piercing” and he could not have been more wrong. Who know what Prince Edward is rocking down those pants of his, but it may not be one of these.) Follow Us: | |||
| 09 Mar 2020 | BlacKkKlansman | 00:56:23 | |
This week we dive headlong into the incredible Spike Lee film, BlacKkKlansman. Cue the “Spoiler Wilhelm Scream.” We talk about our expectations about the film before actually having seen it and being pleasantly surprised when we actually do watch it. Pleasantly surprised and deeply troubled. This is a movie that forces you to consider some truly terrible moments in the history of the U.S. It being a Spike Lee film, that’s done in a fascinating, unflinching, and stylish way. Also, Ron Stallworth (and the team of people he worked with) is a real badass and you should read about him. (Recorded on January 31, 2020) Links and Show Notes: The Black Undercover Cop Who Infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado - Vice The Spike Lee Dolly Shot - YouTube
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| 21 Dec 2020 | Scrooged | 00:56:18 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are learning hard life lessons during the holidays: it’s all about love and family, don’t you know? We’re doing it with the festive Richard Donner film from 1988, Scrooged. This ain’t yo granddaddy’s Christmas Carol, no siree! Nah, this is the cool, hip, kickin’ ‘80s version of the classic Charles Dickens story. We’ve got greased-up tv company executives, the cutting-edge technology known as the VCR, and enough Christmas ghosts to keep you feeling the holiday cheer for weeks. Even after one of them keeps kicking our dear Bill Murray in his jingle bells, too, if you know what I mean… Hey, when it’s Carol Kane doing the kicking, you just tell yourself that you’re okay with it. Oh, did I mention that the wonderful Carol Kane is in this movie? And Bill Murray! And Karen Allen! And freaking Robert Mitchum! C’mon, does it get any better than that? This film is a veritable who’s who of amazing actors. Alfre Woodard’s in this one, too, for crying out loud! Maybe some of you will feel put off by the thought of watching yet another version of a story you probably know like the back of your hand. Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, fetch me a big turkey and all that. You’d be wrong, as dead wrong as the Ghost of Christmas Future. This is a fresh take on that tale and it’s a blast. This is peak ‘80s Bill Murray here, folks, and he’s chugging along on all cylinders. You’ve got to love him. If you’re looking to spice up your holiday movie watching, go no further. Give it a watch or Lee Majors may try to murder you with Mrs. Claus and a bunch of elves. Yes, you read that right. (Recorded on October 26, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: (Richard Donner was also, and probably more famously, the director of the first Superman movie.) | |||
| 02 Aug 2021 | Say Anything | 00:52:36 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are falling for our first true loves… and then getting our hearts broken hard in the Cameron Crowe film from 1989, Say Anything. If you didn’t want to be Lloyd Dobbler when you were just out of high school, then I’m just going to assume that you’re a liar, liar, pants on fire. Is he a little intense about life and work? Yeah, but then again, who wasn’t at that age? Who didn’t wax lyrical about the plight of the heart on its quest for love and acceptance? Being the world’s worst poet is just a symptom of being young and seeing the world in a new and unadulterated way. You can’t help but put your entire self on the line when something captures your attention. It’s a fact of life that you’re going to run into a few immovable objects. If you don’t crash and burn a few times, then are you even really living life? The hard part is when those immovable objects come in the form of unimpressed parents or spurned affections. That’s when things really hit the fan, as they say. What’s a person to do when they fall in love with Diane Court, but her dad isn’t too fond of your lack of ambition and she’s about to jet off into her future? Well, most people might just give up and call it quits. Maybe they’d sleep around for a while. Perhaps travel across Europe, learning how to smoke cigarettes from French people, drink wine from Italians, and eat olives from Greeks. Lloyd isn’t most people, though. He doesn’t give up on love. He keeps fighting for what he thinks is right. He does what he can to prove his worth. Does it sound like he can’t take a hint from Diane, in this case? Yeah, kind of. I mean, it’s almost fortunate for him that Diane’s dad was locked up in prison, otherwise she’d have no real reason to get back together with him. He wouldn’t be traveling to England with her. He’d end up looking desperate and verging on creepy. But hey, things worked out for love. That makes for a great romance, right? Shame about her dad, though… (Recorded on June 14, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Say Anything trailer - YouTube Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Our Libsyn site! | |||
| 13 Apr 2020 | This Is Where I Leave You | 00:47:19 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are wading into some serious (and seriously funny) family drama in the Shawn Levy film, This Is Where I Leave You. So why exactly does everyone want a piece of Jason Bateman? That’s the question we’re aiming to answer in this podcast episode. Is it his sense of humor? His bearded face? The rumor we’re creating right now about his desperate love of artisanal, hand-crafted saltwater taffy? Spoiler warning: we don’t actually figure this question out. What we do figure out is that the family in this movie, the Altmans, have got a whole lot of heavy issues going on. “Dysfunctional” just doesn’t seem to cover it with these folks. The film does a wonderful job of walking a fine line between hilarious and depressing, which is impressive considering it starts with the death of a beloved family member. But hey, even in mourning there’s always room for healing as a family and getting it on with old flames, am I right? Right? Is this thing on? This is a touching movie that we were happy to see and talk about in this episode. It also has one of the best casts we’ve ever seen. Jason Bateman and Tina Fey and Adam Driver AND Jane Fonda?! Come on, how much more greatness do you need? (Recorded on February 19, 2020) Links and Show Notes: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-movies-please/id1500339297 This Is Where I Leave You - IMDb The Kristen Bell episode of Inside of You - Apple Podcasts About Us - More Movies Please! on Apple Podcasts This Is Where I Leave You trailer - YouTube | |||
| 28 Jun 2021 | A Goofy Movie | 00:43:01 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are joined by the wonderful Tara Town (of TikTok fame!) on a heartfelt trip down memory lane as we discuss the 1995 film from Kevin Lima, A Goofy Movie. Do you remember the family road trips of old? The ones that were kind of sprung on you while you were just trying to live your life? I mean, come on, parents. Who did you think we were, some sort of person who likes zipping away to remote and dusty locales without a moment’s notice, all in the name of family bonding or some parental nonsense like that? We had friends we wanted to hang out with! Arcade games we wanted to spend your money on! Knees to scuff and mysterious places to discover and loiter about during the day! We were convinced that spending what we thought were the best years of our lives riding around in our old family sedan with our butthead siblings was the worst thing that ever happened to us! Suffice it to say, I completely understand what Max was going through in this film. All the kid wanted was to have a relaxing summer vacation with his best pal, P.J., and maybe get to know his crush a little better. Maybe sneak a kiss or two with her, you never know. That is, until Goofy—freaking Goofy!—comes along and throws a monkey wrench into those plans. All this turmoil and anguish just because Max happens to go to a school led by a sadistic maniac of a principal. Seriously, who threatens the electric chair when talking about a child’s future? That man was unhinged and should not have been let anywhere near children. Damn it if Goofy isn’t just the most endearing whatever-the-heck-a-Goofy-is, though. Show me someone who’s immune to his endearing, loving, and yeah, I’ll say it, just pain goofy charms and I’ll show you a person with a cold, empty cavern where their heart should be. You can’t help but be won over by him. Is he a little intense? Yeah, and what parent isn’t? He loves his kid and that’s admirable as hell. This is a blast of a film, even after all these years. If you’re looking for a nostalgia trip, this one is the best place to start. (Recorded on May 17, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: A Goofy Movie trailer - YouTube (If you know someone who can invite you to Clubhouse, then you too can have cool conversations with neat people.) The Shrimp Tails in Cinnamon Toast Crunch Saga, Explained - Time A Goofy Movie - Rotten Tomatoes | |||
| 20 Dec 2021 | Batman Returns | 00:46:06 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are donning their capes, cowls, and gauntlets to fight crime in a city that no one should live in with the Tim Burton film from 1992, Batman Returns. But really, why does anyone choose to live in Gotham City? It appears to be one of the most crime-riddled cities in the entire world. I’m sure it’s entirely inadvisable to venture out at night. Doing so is tantamount to signing your own death certificate. If there wasn’t a costumed superhero to help keep the city safe from all those evildoers, then the city would be nothing but unmitigated chaos. Which makes a person wonder, is Batman in Gotham because there are loads of criminals to capture or did the criminals come to Gotham because there’s a Batman to conquer? It’s a real chicken and egg problem we’ve got on our hands here. I hope that our dear Caped Crusader is there to fight the crime and corruption that has always been present in Gotham. But who’s to say that’s the case? If Batman were to leave for good, would the city clean itself? Am I claiming that Batman is the real menace to Gotham? I mean, I don’t think so. There’s no doubt that he does good work. I’d like to see what Gotham would turn into if the city enacted a Year Without Batman policy. Who knows, maybe things would improve? Perhaps the sun would be able to break through the dark clouds above the city? On the other hand, we wouldn’t have cool superhero movies to talk about, so screw all that nonsense. Bring on all the supervillains and the heroes in tight tights that fight them off! Long live Batman! (Recorded on October 15, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Batman Returns trailer - YouTube The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - IMDb Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (TV Series 1993–1996) - IMDb Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series 1992–1995) - IMDb Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) - IMDb Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) - IMDb Gotham (TV Series 2014–2019) - IMDb | |||
| 28 Dec 2020 | Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | 00:52:34 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are pissing off L.A. tough guys, disposing of bodies, and maybe starring in a big-time Hollywood movie with the 2005 Shane Black film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. We all want to be in the pictures, right? I mean, who out there doesn’t? Imagine seeing your name up in lights and having crowds of adoring fans around you, asking for your autograph. You could find yourself in front of a camera lens and acting opposite a legend of the biz. You could be up there with Bogart, Garland, and all the rest. Show me someone that isn’t attracted to that sort of life and I’ll show you someone who’s lying. I mean, The Kinks even made a song about it, yeah? Celluloid Heroes. Even rock stars are singing about it. Erm, wait… That one had a pretty sad message, I think. How did it go? “You can see all the stars as you walk along Hollywood Boulevard. Okay, maybe we shouldn’t aspire to put ourselves through that sort of near-definite torment. Sure, it would be cool to be flown out to L.A., hobnob with all the good-looking, Southern California people, and be put up in a fancy hotel for a while. Maybe you’ll even be shown around by a private investigator named “Gay Perry.” He might even look vaguely like Val Kilmer. Wouldn’t that be swell? It happened to Robert Downey, Jr.’s character in this film. Harry had a pretty good thing going on. Pretty good, that is, until he lost a finger and had his balls zapped with what amounted to a car battery. Look, you win some and you lose some. At least he got to reconnect with an impetuous and knockout dame. Things ended up going pretty well for him, all things considered. Still, though, he also got shot in the chest. That’s not too great. Nobody wants to end up in the hospital because they need to have a bullet removed from their body. Look, all we’re saying is this movie is really well-done. The writing is the sort of Shane Black perfection you’ve come to expect from him, there’s masterful acting happening, and the story is just so damn fun. It’s a modern telling of the hard-boiled detective novels everyone should indulge in at least once in their lives. They’re fun as hell. They make life more enjoyable, like this movie does. Makes you wonder, Maybe dreaming of being a Hollywood movie star isn’t so bad? I mean, The Kinks also sang, “I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show, That ain’t too bad. (Recorded on November 09, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang trailer - YouTube Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - IMDb National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - IMDb RATED-R Home Alone | Corridor Digital - YouTube (The alw | |||
| 17 Aug 2020 | Predestination | 00:52:06 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are loving our future and past selves—literally and simultaneously—in the trippy, thrilling Spierig Brothers film, Predestination. Get ready to have your freaking mind twisted and blown with this one because it’s got a doozy of a twist. A twist that’s crazy for two reasons: it’s just bananas and somehow it actually works! We’ll warn you now, as we discuss at the beginning of this episode, you’re brain’s probably going to be scrambled like a bunch of eggs. We’ve got Ethan Hawke. We’ve got Sarah Snook. We’ve got a terrorist named “The Fizzle Bomber.” It’s the future, but it’s also the past. Who knows when really because everyone’s living in different times… all at the same time! Have no idea what any of that means? That’s probably because it would be impossible to describe the plot of this film without these show notes turning into either a house-sized flowchart or an epic-sized novel. To be honest, though, we don’t really want to spoil anything about this film in these here show notes. Part of the magic and appeal of this film is the enthralling story it tells and the twisting turns of the plot. You never quite know what’s going to happen until it happens and then you’re left wondering what the hell you just witnessed. We will say that we loved the use of old technology in a film that features such an advanced thing as time travel. More often than not, we see the characters using things like tape recorders and violin cases to do their work. You’re not going to see crazy huge machines with lasers or anything like that. We think the film is way better for not using any of those clichéd devices. Steven appreciated the powerful simplicity of this film’s sound design. It’s especially powerful whenever any of the characters travel through time. That universe-sucking sound is unlike anything we’ve heard in movies and works so dang well at suggesting real-time travel. No beeps. No boops. Nothing overtly science fiction-ey. Just something that feels real. That’s some great sound design work. Sean really enjoyed Ben Nott’s cinematography throughout the whole film. This was a movie that could have veered wildly into fantastical imagery, but it stayed grounded in the reality it created, a more recognizable reality. Watching this film, you may start to think that the technology displayed throughout it could actually exist. It feels visceral and real. Does he still have the chance to stretch out and try inventive looks in some pretty amazing locations? Oh heck yes, and they’re thrilling to see. We loved this one and have been thinking about it ever since watching it. It sticks with you and will keep you puzzling over it for a long time. Give it a watch! And a special thanks to one of our favorite teachers, Scott Essman, for introducing this amazing film to us. (Recorded on June 11, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Predestination trailer - YouTube How to Set Up 30,000 Dominoes | Hevesh5 - YouTube Aaron Burr Got Milk? commercial - YouTube Did you know this commercial was directed by Michael Bay? Yes, THE Michael Bay of exploding things in movies fame! Crazy. | |||
| 07 Mar 2022 | Like Father, Like Son | 00:48:30 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are trading children like they’re freaking Yu-Gi-Oh cards up in this place in the 2013 film from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Like Father, Like Son. We watched and talked about this film at length and I’m still baffled by some of the decisions that these supposed adults took with their children’s lives. How do you look at the baby you’ve raised into a real walking and talking person and say, “Nah, there’s someone else out there that I’m going to choose. You don’t understand, kid, he’s got my blood.” But here we are, and that’s the exact movie we talked about in this episode. Granted, the other parents weren’t so keen on the idea of upending their the lives of their kids, so I think they get a pass. It’s a real nature vs. nurture situation here. Are you the product of your genetics or are you what your parents and community made you? Surely, it’s a combination of the two. It can’t be completely one or the other. This film asks a tough question: Would you give up the child you raised if you found out that they weren’t your biological child? Would you take on the life of someone else’s kid out of some misplaced sense of vanity? Or would you be a better parent than Ryota and come to appreciate the life you helped develop a lot sooner than that doofus did? Whatever the case may be, it sure as heck makes for a complex and stellar film. (Recorded on February 3, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Like Father, Like Son trailer - YouTube Eight Legged Freaks (2002) - IMDb Shoplifters | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Sister, Sister (TV Series 1994–1999) - IMDb Pinky and the Brain (TV Series 1995–1998) - IMDb Tommy Boy | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Follow Us: | |||
| 08 Jun 2020 | Sicario | 01:01:27 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are doing some legally questionable things with the help of government agencies in the very tense Denis Villeneuve film, Sicario. We open up with a quick overview of just who this amazing Villeneuve director guy is and all the amazing films he’s produced in his time. Sean gets on Steven’s case for not having seen his Blade Runner movie and then promptly gets a heaping dose of karma served to him when he can’t remember if it’s Blade Runner 2049 or 2048. That’ll teach him. We then head off down another peculiar path and talk about how old we were when 9/11 happened. Spoiler warning (AAAAAAAHHH!): we’re getting old. But then we’re back into this film and its crazy, insane, ridiculous opening. I mean, talk about starting a movie off with a bang! What other movie have you seen that begins with a giant armored truck crashing through the entire front of a house? And then it just doesn’t… let… up… at all. Even its quiet moments boil over with enough tension to leave your entire body clenched. We tip our collective hats to the amazing performances from Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro! I’ve never wanted to piss off somebody less in my life than him. Whether he’s taking out some people at the America-Mexico border or killing an entire cartel boss’s family, he’s probably one of the most intense and dangerous people who have ever lived. The sound design and music in Sicario absolutely floored us. The quality of the audio in a film is at least 50% of what makes it good and this movie was of the very highest quality. The expert cinematography by Roger Deakins does a great job of setting a tense mood in every single scene. It’s really a masterclass in stellar, groundbreaking lighting and camera work. And what do you know, Sicario earned Oscar nominations for sound, music, and cinematography! We dug this movie a whole lot and can’t wait to see what Denis Villeneuve cooks up in the future. (Recorded on April 22, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 - IMDb The Exorcist projectile vomit scene - YouTube If you haven’t seen The Exorcist before, know that this one’s probably not for weak stomachs. Diet Coke & Mentos | Mythbusters - YouTube This was basically Steven’s youth, as we find out. Two Axis Dolly & Children of Men: Behind the Scene - YouTube Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca | |||
| 22 Mar 2021 | The Peanut Butter Falcon | 00:47:29 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are going on a thrilling, backwoods adventure with our new best friend and becoming the wrestlers we always dreamed we would be in the 2019 film from Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, The Peanut Butter Falcon. We could all learn a thing or two about how to be decent people from Zak. All he ever wants to do with his life is become a pro wrestler and be the best family he can be to the people for whom he cares. No backhanded nonsense. No lying. Nothing but enthusiasm, empathy, and love. If he’s not the ideal we should all strive for, then I don’t know who else is worth emulating. “Swell” might not be a weighty enough word to describe him, but it’s certainly a nice and appropriate one. Zak is just so damn swell. You know who else is swell? Tyler and Eleanor. Tyler because he wants Zak to live up to his full potential and Eleanor because she wants to protect him from harm. They’re both wonderful because, by the end, they don’t see Zak as someone with a disability, or even someone who’s less capable. They see him as a friend, and they give him the love he deserves. That’s another thing we should all be so lucky to receive. This is a movie that has a sweetness about it. Its sweetness is also likely to sneak up on you. There are moments of gripping danger, along with antagonists who ridicule Zak for thinking he’s somehow less than they are. There are moments where you’ll think all is lost. You may even shout at the screen or let loose a few tears (which we’d completely understand). By the end, though, you’ll feel that golden light of having just watched something exceptional. This film cares. This film shows truth and love. Of course, this film also follows the number one rule: PARTY! (Recorded on February 01, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Peanut Butter Falcon - IMDb The Peanut Butter Falcon trailer - YouTube FKA twigs Sues Shia LaBeouf, Citing Abusive Relationship - The New York Times Shia LaBeouf opens up about his mother’s rape, says he has PTSD - USA Today Sexual abuse in the American film industry - Wikipedia Lawless | More Movies Please! - Libsyn | |||
| 21 Mar 2022 | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | 00:38:15 | |
On the podcast this time, Pirate Steven and Sean are dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging in the 2004 film from Rawson Marshall Thurber, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Don’t you just hate it when Ben Stiller gets all up in your business, threatening to ruin you financially and sticking his literally inflated crotch in your face? What a punk, am I right? Okay, the man himself seems like a decent fellow, but his character, White Goodman, is about the farthest thing away from a good man. He’s a self-conscious jerk-face who thrives off the disappointment and misfortune of other people. He’d probably say something like, “Well, I made it because of my hard work. What’s your problemo, amigo?” It’s a good thing that decent people exist in this world. Cue Peter La Fleur, owner and operator of Average Joe’s Gym. It’s a place where you can go to feel happy and welcome. While you’re there, be sure to pick up a game or two of dodgeball. Not only will you be engaging in the sport that saved the day, you’ll also be making the ghost of dear Patches O’Houlihan happy. (Recorded on February 21, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IMDb Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story trailer - YouTube Rawson Marshall Thurber - IMDb The Real Reason Ben Stiller And Christine Taylor Are Back Together - The List | |||
| 07 Sep 2020 | The Pirate | 00:54:41 | |
It’s week two of our month of musicals series and in-store, for us this time is a classic. Steven and Sean are wooing our lady loves by pretending to be dastardly pirates in this week’s episode. It’s the 1948 Gene Kelly and Judy Garland film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, The Pirate. Shiver me timbers! Wait wait, it’s not really that sort of pirate film. It may be called The Pirate, but there’s not a single peg leg, eye patch, or bottle of rum to be found. At least, not to our knowledge, but who knows what was going on in the Caribbean during the time this film was set. Seriously, who could tell? It’s not as if this film was the most historically accurate thing ever made. What’s up with all the white people in the Caribbean? Do we not know the history of that area of the world or is this just a case of old Hollywood whitewashing the past? Given the rough history of the film industry, it’s probably the second one. Troubling issues aside, this film is actually a lot of fun. This is one of those classic musicals that feature both amazing songs and dance sequences that’ll just floor you. I mean, come on, Gene Kelly’s in it! So there’s a woman, Manuela, who wants to see the world, but then she becomes engaged to Don Pedro, who used to be the dreaded pirate Macoco but is now posing as a respectable mayor. All’s well and good until an acting troupe comes to town and its leader, the dashing Serafin, meets Manuela and falls head over heels for her. Serafin recognizes Don Pedro for who he really is and masquerades as Macoco to blackmail him into leaving Manuela. Serafin wants to be with her so bad that he’s willing to risk losing his reputation and life for her, which he nearly does. Luckily, Manuela catches on that Serafin isn’t Macoco, falls in love with him too, and they both work together to show their town that Don Pedro isn’t who he claims to be. Plus there’s loads of song and dance numbers, including one especially noteworthy sequence featuring fire, sword fighting, and Gene Kelly’s beefy thighs. Talk about a movie that has it all! Steven, indeed both of us, enjoyed the songs and music in this film. They’re all full of fun, emotion, and do a decent job of telling the story. The technology and equipment used to record audio back then was certainly not as sophisticated as what’s used now. The sound collection and design was done well, but it’s not necessarily something that stands out these days. Still, those songs are great. Sean was amazed by the very nimble camerawork on display. What must those camera setups have been like to keep up with Gene Kelly, doing some of his best work, as he dashes and climbs around the set? Those camera grips on set must have been the muscliest people in Hollywood at that time. Aside from the movement, this is a Technicolor delight and looks as good now as it ever has. We’ve got another great musical in store for you next month! Get ready, it’s going to be an intense and bloody one… (Recorded on July 02, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Who the heck thought this would be a good idea? I mean, it looks like a delicious idea, but it feels impossible to look at without hurting your teeth. | |||
| 18 Jan 2022 | 50/50 | 00:43:43 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are dealing with heavy illnesses, heavy emotions, and heavy, um, love? Yeah, heavy love. It’s the 2011 film from Jonathan Levine, 50/50. It’s the episode subtitle, but I’m going to say it again: fuck cancer. This can’t be shouted from the rooftops enough. It’s a brutal, merciless, piece of crap disease that needs to be eradicated from this planet. I give my love to anybody who’s ever dealt with this terrible thing and my undying appreciation to the people who are working to treat and rid of us this thing. This film does a great job of encapsulating the dichotomy of this illness—how it’s both unique and a shared experience. It does an accurate portrayal of the experience of living with it and around it. That’s not an easy thing to pull off. I think the authenticity comes from the film’s screenwriter, Will Reiser, who wrote about his own experiences dealing with his diagnosis and treatment. You can tell that a loving and no-bullshit hand crafted this story. Stick Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in the film and, baby, you’ve got a stew going. This is a tough film, but it’s also affecting, funny, and worth a watch. Also, happy birthday, Steven! (Recorded on January 11, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: About Us | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - Nintendo The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV Series 1990–1996) - IMDb Angels in the Outfield (1994) - IMDb Rookie of the Year (1993) - IMDb Follow Us: | |||
| 11 Jan 2021 | Uncut Gems | 01:12:55 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are ruining our damn lives by not knowing when to just freaking stop with our good friend and special guest, the inimitable Landon Coats! This week, we’re talking about the 2019 film from the Safdie Brothers, Uncut Gems. Ugh, I need to take a shower. This movie isn’t going to leave you feeling bright, chipper, and clean by the end of it. I mean, content warning: if you or someone you know suffers from a debilitating addiction issue, then this film may not be for you. That is, unless watching someone spiral all the way down the bottomest of rock bottoms is an effective deterrent for you. If that’s what you need, then this one could be your saving grace. It sure is something to watch another human being do everything they can to ruin their life. All shown over an agonizing two hours and fifteen minutes. Except it’s more tragic than that—Howard Ratner clearly isn’t able to control himself. It’s obvious he doesn’t like getting beat up, pissing off his family, or losing more money in a matter of hours than most people will make in an entire year. Who would enjoy that? Yet, he continues to throw away whatever life-saving breaks he’s given. The guy has a serious gambling addiction, and it’s everyone around him who has to suffer the most. He gets a quick (albeit dreadful) out at the end of the film. This is a tough watch, and yet, it’s one of the most rewarding films of the year. It’s a complex depiction of a side of humanity that none of us want to ever witness. We turn away and hide from addiction because it’s uncomfortable to deal with. Unless you turn this film off, there’s no turning away from Adam Sandler’s character. The Safdie brothers deserve every good thing that happens to them for their work in crafting this gruesome masterwork. However, it’s clear that Sandler is the star of this film, no doubt about it. There should be no end to the praise he receives for his exhausting, complex, deep performance. It’s a damn shame that he wasn’t given even an Oscar nomination for his performance because it was the best of the entire year. Our hats are off to him. This is a difficult film to watch, but if you can stomach it, you’re going to witness something special. This is an experience. (Recorded on November 16, 2020) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: | |||
| 16 May 2022 | In the Heat of the Night | 00:46:48 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are slapping old, white racists in the face because they deserve nothing less with the 1967 film from Norman Jewison, In the Heat of the Night. Let’s get this out of the way first. Racism is bad and racists are terribly under-educated, fearful people who could use a good dose of empathy and love in their lives. Sure, there’s nothing groundbreaking there, but it needs to be said, sadly. Many things have gotten better since the ‘60s, but there’s still a lot to be done. This is a cracking good mystery, with a wrinkle for the ages. The small town of Sparta, Mississippi just lost one of its greatest future benefactors: the wealthy and industrious Philip Colbert. In an act of senseless violence, he’s left dead in the middle of an alleyway, stripped of all his money. Detective Virgil Tibbs, who happens to be passing through at the time of the murder, is found in the train station and picked up for the crime of being black in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Good thing he’s an educated police officer. I shudder to think what would have happened to him were he anyone else. His expertise helps bring new and powerful information about this murder to light. The local police chief, Bill Gillespie, in an unusually progressive fashion, comes to respect Tibbs. The pair work the case, which has more twists and turns than anyone could have guessed. Maybe the institutional racism of the town isn’t broken down, but I’d bet you that Gillespie becomes a marginally better person. Small victories are still victories, right? (Recorded on March 11, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: In the Heat of the Night - IMDb In the Heat of the Night trailer - YouTube The Matrix Reloaded (2003) - IMDb Castle (TV Series 2009–2016) - IMDb Dexter (TV Series 2006–2013) - IMDb Sidney Poitier Dead: ‘In the Heat of the Night’ Star Dies at 94 - The Hollywood Reporter They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) - IMDb The Organization (1971) - IMDb Follow Us: | |||
| 16 Aug 2021 | Airplane! | 00:45:10 | |
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are going to land this damn plane even if it kills us in the 1980 film by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, Airplane! WARNING! If you don’t like hilarious puns of all sorts coming at you non-stop, then this is not the film for you. WARNING! ANOTHER WARNING! If you’re the sort of person who doesn’t like the amazing puns that this film gives you, then I don’t think we can be friends. In fact, we may never want to even associate with you. Yes, that’s the sort of brilliance with which we regard this ‘80s masterpiece. ANOTHER WARNING! Oh, you think that opening a film with an airplane flying through clouds to the Jaws theme isn’t funny and clever? Do you think that a man getting smacked in the face by his own boomeranged clothing is a bore? Do you think that an inflatable autopilot named Otto is scraping the depths of the comedic well? I’ve got news for you, pal! You’re not the sort of person we want associating with this here fine podcast! We demand you never speak its name again. More Movies Please! is too good for you, and we’re going to stand by that for the rest of our lives. Indeed, we hope you get stuck in an abandoned taxi in the unloading zone at an airport for the rest of your life! Or is it the loading zone? …It doesn’t matter one bit! You get the point! Now, if you are the sort of person to enjoy the hilarious and harrowing antics of the passengers on board this ailing aircraft, then welcome home. We’re glad to have you here for this episode. Please enjoy our admiration for the hilarity of this film. It’s a good one. (Recorded on June 21, 2021) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: How unusual was the winter of 2010 world-wide? - KNMI 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull - Wikipedia Airplane II: The Sequel - IMDb Tropic Thunder Opening Trailers - YouTube | |||
| 11 Jul 2022 | The Rocketeer - The Only Way to Fly | 00:37:55 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are flying through the clouds and kicking some Nazi butt in the 1991 film by Joe Johnston, The Rocketeer. If I had Howard Hughes money, I would 100% build myself a jetpack, too. Who can blame the guy? Who in the world doesn’t want to fly high up with the birds and such? Even now, when commercial air travel is so prevalent and relatively affordable, a jetpack would be the coolest thing ever. And where are they? We’ve been told, in countless Disney theme park exhibitions, that the future is going to be full of jetpacks and pill-sized meals. When will this future finally happen? I’m sick of waiting! Cliff makes it looks like so much fun in this film. I’m not looking to strap a sleek helmet onto my head and become some sort of high-flying superhero here. I would like to beat the freeway traffic and get to where I want to go in less than an hour, though. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. All I’m saying is this movie is fun as heck, rousing time. And if you know someone who’s created or is even working on a viable personal jetpack, then let me know. Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - IMDb The Flash (TV Series 2014– ) - IMDb Arrow (TV Series 2012–2020) - IMDb Supergirl (TV Series 2015–2021) - IMDb Do planes have odometers? - Aviation Stack Exchange Hughes H-4 Hercules - Wikipedia Follow Us: | |||
| 18 Jul 2022 | Naked Singularity - Think of the Lives That Could Change… | 00:37:29 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are exploring the mysteries of the universe… Just kidding, we’re actually stealing a bunch of money from insane murderers in the 2021 film from Chase Palmer, Naked Singularity. Ya know how, when you’re busy trying to steal a bunch of life-changing money, you feel a connection with the entire universe, nay, the multi-verse, and your connection with the ethereal messes with everything? That’s a relatable feeling, right? We’ve all been there. Or maybe you’re trying to defend an innocent person in court and the system isn’t prepared to see your client as a human being. Out of nowhere, you find yourself floating about a foot off the ground for indiscernable reasons. Could happen to anybody. Or you’re in a firefight alongside a bunch of Rabbi mobsters. You’re battling it out, guns ablazing and tear gas canisters a-poppin'. You end up stabbing someone through the stomach with your giant katana sword. Just another Tuesday. Everything I’ve described happens in this film. It’s all a little crazy. (Recorded on April 29, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: Naked Singularity trailer - YouTube The Suicide Squad (2021) - IMDb Final Destination (2000) - IMDb Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) - IMDb Ready Player One (2018) - IMDb Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) - IMDb Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - IMDb The Princess Bride (1987) - IMDb Follow Us: | |||
| 25 Jul 2022 | Crank - A Masterpiece of Insanity | 00:30:25 | |
On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are trying to stop our hearts from dying by doing everything we can to make our hearts explode in the 2006 film from Mark Neveldine and Bryan Taylor, Crank. I’m going to give you a second to think of and give me the name of a film that’s more insane than this one. Go ahead. Second’s up! The only film that could possibly be more insane than this one is its sequel, Crank: High Voltage. THERE ARE NO OTHER CRAZIER FILMS! This thing is about as ridiculous, wild, ludicrous, violent, or gratuitous as this one. To quote the great Martha Stewart, “Now that’s a good thing.” So saddle up, slam several Red Bulls, and join us on this ride into utter and depraved lunacy. You’ll be glad you did. (Recorded on April 29, 2022) Links to Stuff We Mentioned: The Good the Bad the Weird (2008) - IMDb The Good, the Bad, the Weird | More Movies Please! - Libsyn Crank: High Voltage Official Trailer - YouTube Central Intelligence (2016) - IMDb Follow Us: Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! | |||
