The Long Take Review (Jen Sopchockchai Bankard)

Enjoy The Long Take’s first…audio edition? Proto-podcast?

Fellow Oscars enthusiast and writing professor Antonio Elefano joins me to debate who will win Oscars in the Academy’s eight biggest categories, as well as share who we think should win. (And, in some cases, who we think should have been nominated.)

Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

I plan to post our written thoughts as well, complete with a Short Take and Long Take for each category we discuss here. Some but not all points overlap between this recording and the text you’ll see soon. If you want something more structured and formal, check out our writing in subsequent posts. For a looser, more conversational version of our takes, pop this recording on while you commute or wash dishes. (That’s prime listening time for me!)

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

We’re back with another Oscars breakdown. This time, I’m joined by my former grad school officemate, longtime friend, fellow movie nerd, and author ofEye On Canon, Greg Cass. He miraculously watches every single Oscar-nominated film (in all categories!) every year, so I really needed his help to parse these categories.

Image Credit: CNN

I will publish a couple posts to have a shorter text only version of our predictions shortly. You can opt for one or the other depending on how you’d like to consume our takes.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

The final countdown to Oscars Sunday has begun. To discuss all the “below the line” or crafts categories, I invited my colleague, friend, and fellow film history nerd, P.T. McNiff. He really brought his A-game with research, stats, and Oscars history. If you’ve ever wanted to know who songwriter Diane Warren is, he has a comprehensive and definitive answer for you! I also appreciated his supportive advice as I had minor meltdowns with a few categories.

Image Credit: New York Times

Forthcoming is another post with a textual representation of our takes on the craft categories. Depending on your preference, you can either listen to this episode or read through our takes in the next post.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

The Oscars aired this past Sunday; it went as expected in some categories, with a few surprises in others. P.T. McNiff and Antonio Elefano join me to share their reactions to the winners, how their predictions panned out, and what the results might mean for the Oscars in the future.

Image Credit: CBS

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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The latest installment of the franchise based on everyone’s favorite dog lover, John Wick, is out now in theaters. In this episode, P.T. and I catch up on some movie news before we give our spoiler-free reactions to and recommendations for John Wick: Chapter 4. We finish with a more detailed, spoiler-filled breakdown of the film’s themes and highlights, as well as a discussion of its potential Oscar prospects.

Movie News Check 1:54

Spoiler-Free Reactions and Recommendations 12:32

Spoiler Mode Breakdown 34:47

Oscars Watch 1:30:02

Note: P.T. references a video game he thought of when seeing this film, but he meant to say SmashTV instead of Smash Brothers.

Image Credit: LA Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are together again, this time to tell the story of how Nike signed Michael Jordan and revolutionized sports marketing and fashion with his own shoe line. Greg and I share our thoughts about some big Star Wars film news before we share our overall reactions to “Air,” highlight some of our favorite performances, and try to figure out if this film has enough of a point of view to swish into the Oscars conversation.

Movie News Check 1:47

The Spoiler-Free Short Take 14:40

The Recommendation Algorithm (also spoiler-free) 22:07

Spoiler Mode Breakdown 31:00

Oscars Watch 1:11:05

Notes: Here’s a link to the 2015 New York Times article Jen mentioned: “A Reformed ‘Sneaker Pimp’ Takes on the NCAA”

Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Is it too early to predict next year’s Oscars? Probably. Nonetheless, P.T. and I speculate about what upcoming films might become Oscar contenders later in the year. We then draft our top five most anticipated films of 2023. The results may surprise you; they certainly surprised us in a few instances!

Movie News Check-In 1:49

Potential Oscar Contenders 13:37

Movie Draft: Top 5 Most Anticipated 2023 1:08:08

Image Credit: Deadline

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Is this a sequel, Part Two, or, dare I say, a reboot of our Most Anticipated Movies of 2023 episode? CinemaCon, an industry event that previews upcoming films for the year, revealed new information about many films P.T. and I discussed last week, as well as ones that didn’t make our lists. Which ones are we even more excited for? Which ones have we cooled on? Which ones suddenly have our attention? P.T. and I react to new trailers and reports of exclusive footage.

Image Credit: CNN

Trailers for films we discuss:

The Flash

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

The Equalizer 3

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games prequel)

A Haunting in Venice

Next Goal Wins

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

We are movie lovers and Oscar prognosticators, but we are also dedicated Star Wars fans. In honor of Star Wars Day (May 4th) 2023, P.T., Greg, and I share our memories of Return of the Jedi as well as our experiences seeing the 1983 film on the big screen during its recent 40th anniversary re-release. We then transition to a discussion of the Star Wars franchise as a whole, especially from a film perspective. Listen for our takes on The Mandalorian Season 3, the recently announced Dave Filoni “event film,” storytelling continuity, and the joy that a Galaxy Far, Far, Away brings.

SPOILER WARNING: While we don’t openly discuss any major spoilers, the second half of this conversation operates under the assumption that listeners have seen all Star Wars films and series to date, especially The Mandalorian.

Image Credit: StarWars.com

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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The Guardians of the Galaxy’s final ride with writer, director, and now co-CEO of DC James Gunn hit theaters this weekend, and to break it all down, P.T. and I recruit host of The Colbycast and MCU expert, Colby Mead. We discuss the impact the ongoing writer’s strike might have on future Marvel productions, what GotG Vol. 3 could mean for the future of Marvel and DC, and how we feel about all the feelings this new film made us feel.

Movie News Check-In: 3:01

The Short Take (Spoiler Free): 17:20

The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler Free): 28:53

Spoiler Mode: 40:52

Follow TheColbycast @thecolbycast on Instagram and Twitter, and listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: The New York Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

The Cannes Film Festival just wrapped up last weekend, which means we now have the first wave of reactions for several of our most anticipated films of the year. P.T. and I discuss the big award-winners, and then speculate as to which films unofficially won the festival. Get ready for a lot of chatter about Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, and, of course, James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Which films premiering at Cannes have Oscars prospects? What is Netflix’s award strategy this year? What’s the deal with those standing ovations? And why can’t we pronounce any European names confidently? Listen to find out the answers to these questions and more.

Show Notes:

IndieWire’s Guide to the Longest Standing Ovations at Cannes

All The Official Winners of the Cannes Film Festival:

Palme d’Or

Anatomy of a Fall, dir. Justine Triet (France / Neon)

Grand Prix

The Zone of Interest, dir. Jonathan Glazer (Germany / A24)

Jury Prize

Fallen Leaves, dir. Aki Kaurismäki (Finland / MUBI)

Best Director

Tran Anh Hùng for The Pot-Au-Feu (France / seeking distribution)

Best Screenplay

Yuji Sakamoto for Monster (Japan / seeking distribution)

Best Actress

Merve Dizdar for About Dry Grasses (Turkey / seeking distribution)

Best Actor

Koji Yakusho for Perfect Days (Japan-Germany / possibly Neon)

Honorary Palme d’Or

Michael Douglas

Harrison Ford

Camera d’Or for Best First Film

The Yellow Cocoon Shell, dir. Thien An Pham

Palme d’Or for Best Short Film

27, dir. Flóra Anna Buda.

Image Credit: Reuters

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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With dazzling animation and a superb screenplay, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the follow-up to Oscar-winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, has performed heroically at the box office. Greg Cass Greg and I try to pinpoint the source of the film’s success, dissect how the creators have seeded themes into the story so effectively, share our favorite scenes and Easter eggs, and much more. Stick around until the end of the recording to learn just how deep a certain cameo’s connection to Spider-Man really goes.

Movie News Check-In: 1:16

The Short Take (Spoiler-Free): 11:58

The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler-Free): 17:04

SPOILER MODE: 28:54

The Rhetorical Situation: 44:35

Oscars Watch: 1:20:22

Show Notes:

More information on who nominates and votes for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. (Jen was correct. In 2017 the Academy created an opt-in committee to determine nominations for this category, and it’s open to any Academy member.)

The Vanity Fair article on the call to de-gender awards.

Image Credit: BBC

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Celine Song’s directorial debut, Past Lives, garnered an immense amount of critical praise, with strong (and very early!) Oscar buzz coming out of the Sundance Film Festival in January. Antonio Elefano and I discuss whether the film lives up to the hype, dissect the the themes, and explain how the screenplay redefines romance. The film will play in theaters everywhere starting June 23rd.

Movie News Check-In :52

The Short Take 16:00

The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler Free) 26:53

SPOILER MODE 36:18

The Rhetorical Situation 36:50

Oscars Watch 1:43:00

Image Credit: LA Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

It’s a Wes Anderson jubilee! Greg, P.T., and I share our thoughts on the beloved yet polarizing director’s newest film, Asteroid City. We attempt to unpack its dense layers, pulling out themes and connections between the various frame narratives. After a robust discussion, we speculate about the film’s Oscars chances and share our top five Wes Anderson films of all time. I felt privileged to be a part of this conversation; P.T. and Greg shared so much insight, and we were having a good time every single second. You can’t wake up until you’ve podcasted with friends. Listen to us on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In 1:33

The Short Take (Spoiler-Free) 12:58

The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler-Free) 20:27

SPOILER MODE 30:03

The Rhetorical Situation 1:22:33

Oscars Watch 1:39:59

Our Top 5 Wes Anderson Films 1:52:10

Image Credit: LA Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

We are on the precipice of a new Indiana Jones film in theaters, so P.T., Greg, and I *had* to have an episode dedicated to the four preceding films. We share what we love about the character and the franchise, try to figure out what makes Harrison Ford so singular, rank all the films, and parse our expectations for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Grab your fedora and join us on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Variety

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Buckle up your prop plane seat for our wide-ranging discussion of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. First-time guest, as well as dear friend and colleague, Jim Clements Jim Clements joins P.T., Greg, and me to compare this fifth film to its predecessors, contemplate whether or not anyone under the age of 40 cares about this genre, nerd out about what we liked, pinpoint what didn’t work for us, and daydream about Harrison Ford winning an Oscar someday. We had the widest variety of takes (of all temperatures!) of any episode of The Long Take Review thus far. Give it a listen and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I also want to give a special shoutout to Greg, who wore a fez for half this recording, but never received any formal acknowledgement of his panache. His hat game continues to be on point, folks.

The Short Take (Spoiler-Free) 6:48

The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler-Free) 14:46

SPOILER MODE 22:12

Oscars Watch 1:30:09

Image Credit: Deadline

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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In anticipation of the new Mission: Impossible film, which skydives into theaters this week, P.T. McNiff, who’s been a fan from the beginning, and I, who only just watched five out of six films for the first time, examine the franchise to date. We provide context about Tom Cruise, the origins or the making of the films, the different directors who have chosen to accept these missions, the spy thriller genre, and M:I’s place in action blockbuster filmmaking. After that extensive primer, we share our personal rankings of all six films, give a quick Oscars assessment, and end with some hype for Dead Reckoning Part One. The fuse on this one is long, but sparks of excitement and joy constantly fly as the clock counts down. Listen on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Our relationship with the franchise and Tom Cruise. 2:29

Tom Cruise’s career and how he got here. 18:28

What makes the Mission: Impossible franchise work? 38:56

How is Ethan Hunt different than James Bond? 1:00:03

How Mission: Impossible went from TV series to film franchise. 1:06:14

Our rankings of the six Mission: Impossible films. 1:14:57

Oscars Watch 2:12:54

Preview of Dead Reckoning Part One. 2:19:45

Image Credit: New York Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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The new Mission: Impossible movie is exclusively in theaters, and Tom Cruise wouldn’t want it any other way. After shining a light on the actor’s strike that began this week and discussing some of the contentious issues in the context of Dead Reckoning Part One, P.T., Greg, and I unpack (and clarify) the dense spy thriller plot, rejoice over our favorite action set pieces, and compare our notes on characters old and new. We’ll be your parachute as you float down from a blockbuster high.

Movie News Check-In 2:04

The Hollywood Strike in the Context of Tom Cruise, Movie Theaters, and the M:I Franchise 17:42

The Short Take (Spoiler Free) 31:38

The Recommendation Algorithm (Spoiler Free) 44:20

SPOILER MODE 48:33

Predictions for Part Two 2:03:40

What Were Other Actors Were Doing at 61 2:13:35

Oscars Watch 2:17:33

Image Credit: LA Times

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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The simultaneous release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, now known as “Barbenheimer,” has quickly become the movie event of the year, sweeping pop culture and breaking all kinds of box office records. We share our takes on each film, put them in conversation with one another, and posit their cultural, political, and film industry significance. Rather than reviewing the two films in succession, we’re embracing the very idea of Barbeheimer with one big conversation about both films together.

Movie News Check-In 2:20

The writer and actors strikes, and how The Long Take Review plans to show support.

Barbenheimer at the box office. 7:12

Our Barbenheimer Experiences 13:38

The Short Take What did we think of the films? Who “won” Barbenheimer? 19:03

The Recommendation Algorithm What advice do we have? Do you need to see other films by these directors? 43:04

SPOILER MODE We discuss spoilers for both films together. 50:27

The Rhetorical Situation How did Barbenheimer happen? Who can take credit for it? What does it say about our culture? What is social constructionism and what does it have to do with Barbeneheimer? 51:54

Oscars Watch How many nominations could each of these films get? 1:43:47

Image Credit: Time

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Theater Camp, a loving send-up of “theater kid” culture, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to high praise from critics. Months later, Searchlight Picture’s sincere comedy starring Molly Gordon (The Bear) and Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect) quietly released in theaters, overshadowed by Barbenheimer fever. That’s why P.T., Antonio, and I wanted to give this heavily improvised indie film a starring role in this episode. We discuss our own personal connections to theater, debate whether or not this film can appeal to a broader audience, compare the film to the work of Christopher Guest, consider how the film represents teaching, and attempt to discern what the film’s satire has to say about art, commerce, and social media. Podcast isn’t home…but, is it, kind of? I think it kind of is.

Image Credit: IndieWire

Movie News Check-In 2:48 A strike update and a quick box office update.

What is Theater Camp? 13:55

Are We “Theater Kids”? 17:53

The Short Take 26:42 What did we think of the film overall?

The Recommendation Algorithm 34:46 Beyond theater nerds, who would like this movie?

The Rhetorical Situation 39:49 What does this film have to say about arts education?How does it represent teachers and teaching?

SPOILER MODE 57:38 Favorite performance? Funniest bit? What is this film trying to say?

Oscars Watch 1:26:09 We dream big about this film’s Oscars potential (especially in original song).

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. Movie News Check-In music is “Meet Me On the Bridge” by Trio Leo. The Rhetorical Situation music is “Well of Knowledge” by Cercles Nouvelles. Spoiler Mode music is “Thinking of Luther” by The New Fools. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Is it still too early to make Oscar predictions? Yes. Will that stop P.T. and me from making them? Not a chance. After a rundown of what’s slated for all the major film festivals this year and a discussion of their role in the Oscar race, we speculate about nominations in 8 categories: animated feature, international feature, documentary feature, original score, original song, production design, makeup and hairstyling, and visual effects. We also get a little help from Greg Greg , who breaks some bad news.

Stay tuned for Part Two, in which we discuss the rest of the categories, including all the acting categories and Best Picture!

Movie News Check-In: Box office and strike updates. 2:57

Greg’s News: A very special cameo. 6:42

Fall Film Festival Season: What big film festivals are coming up? And what movies will premiere at them? 17:05

The Rhetorical Situation: What outside factors influence the Oscars race? 44:57

Our Premature, Pre-Festival Oscar Predictions (Part One) 1:00:31

Image Credit: Empire

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the writers and actors on strike. If listeners would like to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. Movie News Check-In music is “Meet Me On the Bridge” by Trio Leo. The Rhetorical Situation music is “Well of Knowledge” by Cercles Nouvelles. Spoiler Mode music is “Thinking of Luther” by The New Fools. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

P.T. and I are back to finish up our “way too early” Oscar predictions. Since we last recorded, a lot has happened — reviews from some of the fall film festivals have come in and a few Oscar hopefuls have been pushed to next year. Which films have emerged as early frontrunners? Which might be too weird to appeal to Oscar voters? Which have a better chance during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes (which we support)? And how are our picks from the 2023 movie hype draft doing? We’ve gotten really good at talking about movies we haven’t seen yet.

Editing 4:29

Cinematography 19:52

Original Screenplay 27:18

Adapted Screenplay 39:19

Supporting Actress 50:17

Supporting Actor 1:05:55

Actress 1:13:03

Actor 1:29:11

Director 1:40:18

Picture 1:52:00

Movie Hype Draft Assessment 2:00:32

Image Credit: Entertainment Weekly

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the writers and actors on strike. If listeners would like to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Before we become engrossed in all the Oscar bait that awaits this fall, Greg, P.T. and I thought it would be fun to give a series of “awards” to movies we watched over the summer. Greg finds every opportunity to talk about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, P.T. tries to backdoor reviews of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and TMNT:Mutant Mayhem, and Jen just wants to give Rocket Raccoon a hug. This one has a lot of laughs, so come join us in celebrating a great summer at the movies.

Movies News Check-In 1:50

This Deserved Better 9:55

Most Disappointing 16:43

Franchise Killer 33:38

Franchise Starter 53:19

Favorite Joke 1:09:33

Perfectly Cast But Underrated Actor/Actress 1:14:17

Made Me Want to Go Home and Rethink My Life 1:23:22

Best Stunt/Action Set Piece 1:36:25

Future Cult Classic 1:44:08

Biggest Tearjerker 1:56:32

The episode of The Town that Jen references. In that episode, host Matt Belloni references Box Office Analyst Jeff Bock’s “rule of thumb” that if a movie makes at least $400 million, then there will likely be a sequel.

Image Credit: Deadline/Geek Tyrant/The New York Times/Vulture

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the writers and actors on strike. If listeners would like to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

This week, Gareth Edwards, the director behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, debuted his original science fiction epic, The Creator. P.T., Greg, and I break down what makes the film worth seeing — even dazzling in some respects — while also acknowledging the flaws in the story. The wide-ranging conversation includes AI, the Vietnam War, and a slew of other science fiction films. You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: A huge strike update, plus what else we’ve been watching this week. 1:50

The Short Take: Our general impressions of the film (spoiler-free). 16:58

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see this movie? What other science fiction films might be comparable? 29:30

SPOILER MODE 40:50

The Rhetorical Situation: How does current discourse on AI impact the reception of The Creator? How original is this film really? 1:23:55

Oscars Watch What kind of nominations could The Creator snag? 1:48:09

Image Credit: Variety

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

P.T., Greg, and I love Star Wars as much as we love movies, so we’re dipping a toe into television waters with a review of the first season of Ahsoka, the new Star Wars series that recently concluded on Disney+. We discuss the extent to which Star Wars animation is a prerequisite, how the series moves forward in light of the tragic loss of actor Ray Stevenson, what this series tells us about the future of Star Wars, and much more.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Some Star Wars and TV news (how novel!). 2:50

SPOILER MODE 12:05

The Short Take: Our general impressions of the series to date. 16:58

What worked well? Our favorite aspects, characters, performances, moments, scenes, etc. 21:27

The Rhetorical Situation: How does a viewer’s values and how they define Star Wars impact their reception of this series? 1:02:48

Listener Questions: Let the wild speculation commence. 1:45:46

Thank you to friends of the show who submitted their questions on Instagram. @mrdaftprawn, @mrsthomaschen, The Wampa’s Lair Podcast, and The ColbyCast

Read Greg’s “Reclaiming “Not My Star Wars’” piece, which we reference several times in this episode, here.

Image Credit: Slash Film

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Wes Anderson, the director behind The Grand Budapest Hotel and, more recently, Asteroid City, adapted four short stories by Roald Dahl for Netflix: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” “The Swan,” “The Rat Catcher,” and “Poison.” These films feature a troupe of famous faces, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade. In this episode, Greg, P.T., and I unpack their meaning, consider them in the context of both Wes Anderson’s filmography and Roald Dahl’s biography, share our favorites, and contemplate the Netflix of it all.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: A strike setback and the Taylor Swift takeover. 3:50

The Short Take: Our general impressions of the set of four films (spoiler-free). 16:31

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see these shorts? What do they have to offer non-“Wessies”? 23:30

SPOILER MODE 31:04

Our Rankings: We count down from 4 to 1, working towards our favorites. Who will zig and who will zag with their picks? 1:06:32

The Rhetorical Situation: A discussion of Netflix, the streaming experience, medium as the method of transmission, and what message we might find in the mediums used by these short films. 1:45:41

Oscars Watch Will one of these get nominated in the short film category? Could that end Wes Anderson’s losing streak at the Oscars? Would we even want that? And how much research did P.T. do on the history of short films at the Oscars? 1:58:14

Image Credit: LA Times

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Legendary director and champion of cinema Martin Scorsese adapted David Grann’s 2017 non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with some significant shifts that have sparked debate amongst a variety of film critics. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, who all give indelible performances. It is currently playing in theaters and will stream on Apple TV+ later this year. In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I enter the discourse about the representation of American history and indigenous peoples, offer our interpretations of the film’s ambiguities, and examine the ethos of our beloved Marty.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Strike updates and another devastating delay. 2:36

The Short Take: Our general impressions of Killers of the Flower Moon. (Spoiler-free.) 11:53

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see this film? What kind of history nerd will enjoy this? (Spoiler-free.) 18:41

SPOILER MODE P.T. and Greg help answer some of my questions about the plot and character motivations, we shout out our favorite performances, unpack the politics surrounding the film, and more. 29:56

The Rhetorical Situation: Martin Scorsese’s ethos. What do we gain from Scorsese being the one who tells this story? What are his limitations? What do we make of the ending of the film? 1:23:49

Oscars Watch Will this film repeat The Irishman’s Oscars performance, with a slew of nominations but no wins? How do we think Lily Gladstone’s decision to campaign in Lead rather than Supporting impacts her and the film’s chances? How does KotFM stack up against Oppenheimer? 1:47:16

Image Credit: LA Times

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Intro and outro music is “Divers,” by Hara Noda. All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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Did she do it? Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall pushes the boundaries of what a movie about a murder can do. This fresh take, executed with precision storytelling, won the biggest prize at the Cannes Film Festival this past May, launching it into the Oscars conversation. It is now out in theaters and will likely stream on Hulu after its theatrical run. In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, and I work through what we saw in the film, unpack its themes, and draw connections to the teaching of writing. We were lucky Antonio joined us for this one, as he is a lawyer who teaches legal writing.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Quick reviews of Netflix’s Fair Play and M3GAN. Our reaction to the American Fiction trailer and The Bikeriders delay. 4:00

The Short Take: Our general impressions of Anatomy of a Fall. (Spoiler-free.) 10:32

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see this film? To what extent does this film defy certain genre expectations? (Spoiler-free.) 17:25

The Rhetorical Situation: How does this film remind us of teaching rhetoric and argumentation? How should writers/filmmakers and readers/viewers approach complexity and ambiguity? Antonio treats us to “Legal Corner,” in which he compares the French and American legal systems. (Spoiler-free.) 28:29

SPOILER MODE Did she do it? We offer our theories about what really happened, discuss what this film has to say about truth, and contemplate the power of constructing narratives. 48:43

Oscars Watch Whose takes will be overruled in a court of Oscars? France did not select this film for its Oscar bid. Does that make it more or less likely to get nominations? In which categories could this film get nominated? 1:40:46

Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

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Alexander Payne — the director behind Sideways, The Descendants, Election, Nebraska, and About Schmidt — has a new film out in theaters: The Holdovers. The title refers to a group of boarding school students stuck on campus for the holidays, along with their begrudging chaperone, a hard-nosed history teacher, played by Paul Giamatti. Hilarious and heartfelt shenanigans ensue. Comedian Da’vine Joy Randolph and new discovery Dominic Sessa accompany Giamatti in a trio of smart, funny, and authentic performances. As the runner-up for the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), this Christmas comedy drama already has a lot of Oscar buzz.

On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I discuss how broad the appeal for this film might be, what we think Payne might be saying about elitism in education, our favorite comedic moments, and small ball vs. big ball bowling.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: The Studios present SAG-AFTRA with a “final” offer. The WGA pushes back their awards ceremony. Greg accidentally attends a cast and crew premiere of The Holdovers. 3:49

The Short Take: Our general impressions of The Holdovers. (Spoiler-free.) 13:04

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see The Holdovers? To what extent is this a “Christmas movie” vs. an awards movie? Plus, we name a slew of films that, if you like them, may indicate that this movie is for you. (Spoiler-free.) 29:59

SPOILER MODE Does The Holdovers really have any spoilers or big reveals, and what does that say about the kind of movie it is? 46:21

The Rhetorical Situation: What does this film have to say about education, race, class, and The Vietnam War? About ethos or character? And what connections can we draw to our own experiences in higher education? 1:31:31

Oscars Watch: Could all three performances garner Oscar nominations? Does this film have a path to Best Picture? 1:56:49

Image Credit: LA Times

The Long Take Review hopes to highlight the value of the work done by the actors on strike. If listeners would like to support SAG-AFTRA, we encourage them to make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund.

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With new “state of the MCU” articles coming out every day, The Marvels enters a precarious discursive climate. And, unfortunately, Nia DaCosta’s superhero team-up space comedy now has the distinction of the lowest grossing opening weekend of any Marvel movie. How much does that reflect the quality of the film, though?

On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I explain why we still had a great time with The Marvels, despite its flaws. We then try to diagnose the MCU’s much-discussed downturn, consider various reasons why The Marvels underperformed at the box office, and geek out about the future of the franchise. Stick around until the end for our takes on flerken biology.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: The actor’s strike has ended! We rejoice. 4:13

The Short Take: Our general impressions of The Marvels. (Spoiler-free.) 20:35

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see The Marvels? To what extent is this film for diehard fans vs. accessible to casual fans? Do you need to have seen Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, or WandaVision before watching The Marvels? (Spoiler-free.) 30:17

SPOILER MODE There’s a mid-credits scene, and we talk about it a lot. Then we go back to focusing on The Marvels. What made it enjoyable? What’s not working or holding it back? 39:27

The Rhetorical Situation: How much does current discourse about the MCU influence fans’ and critics’ reception of The Marvels? What lessons should Marvel take away from this film and what lessons might they (mistakenly) take away? 1:33:30

Image Credit: IGN

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Whether you’re hosting or traveling for Thanksgiving, watching movies can be a great way to spend time with your loved ones. To help guide you through that tryptophan-assisted down time, P.T., Greg, and I put together a series of recommendations in four different categories: 1.) movies playing in theaters, 2.) family films to stream at home, 3.) films for grownups to stream at home, and 4.) movies just coming out in theaters that we’re excited to see.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In (featuring a new voiceover by Greg!): Marvel casting news, pushback on the SAG-AFTRA strike deal, and the Golden Globes find a new broadcasting home 3:00

The Recommendation Algorithm: Thanksgiving Edition 13:16

In Theaters Recs What’s playing in theaters this week that we think you should see? 14:47

Family Streaming Recs What can you watch at home with the whole family, including kiddos? 29:18

Grownup Streaming Recs What should you watch at home if you’re with a group that can handle more mature content? 48:14

Coming Soon to Theaters Recs What movies are we most looking forward to seeing in theaters this week? 1:13:47

And if any of our picks pique your interest, you can listen to our reviews of some of them (ideally after you’ve seen them, to get a more in-depth analysis):

The Holdovers (in theaters)

The Marvels (in theaters)

Jen’s written review of The Marvels

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Netflix)

Jen’s written review of Across the Spider-Verse

Past Lives (to rent or buy on demand)

Theater Camp (Hulu)

Image Credit: Slate Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, IMDb

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A little more than a year after the release of Elvis, Baz Luhrmann’s bombastic and glitzy biopic, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla provides an alternative view by adapting Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me. In stark contrast to Elvis, Priscilla is a quiet, sobering look at the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla Presley, who was 14 when they met. Coppola’s film stars Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis, and is playing in theaters now. Since its distributor, A24, doesn’t have an exclusive contract with a streaming service, it’s unclear where the film will land for home viewing. (“Except Canopy!,” says Greg.)

On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I discuss how we think Elvis fans will react to this film, what viewers actually want from their biopics, how Coppola’s film portrays Elvis, why the film divided the Presley family, and how different generations might approach fame and toxic relationships.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Awards season is in full swing. The Scream franchise is in trouble. 5:07

The Short Take: Our general impressions of Priscilla. (Spoiler-free.) 18:19

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see Priscilla? Elvis fans? Sofia Coppola fans? (Spoiler-free.) 25:35

The Rhetorical Situation: How does the discourse surrounding Elvis’ legacy or Baz Luhrman’s film impact how we view Coppola’s Priscilla? How does Priscilla engage with or challenge the biopic genre? (Spoiler-free.) 38:17

SPOILER MODE How damaging is the portrayal of Elvis in this film? What is the film ultimately trying to say about the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla? 1:01:46

Oscars Watch: Does Priscilla have a chance of getting any Oscar nominations? If so, in which categories? Why has Sofia Coppola not received any nominations siince Lost in Translation? 1:30:27

Image Credit: NPR

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Ridley Scott, the director who brought us game-changing blockbusters like Alien, Bladerunner, and Gladiator, takes on one of history’s most notorious figures in his new film, Napoleon. The 2-hour and 38-minute historical epic follows not only his military career but his relationship with his wife and empress, Josephine. The film stars Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix (Joker, The Master) as Napoleon and Academy Award nominee Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible — Fallout, The Crown) as Josephine. It’s playing in theaters now, but Sir Ridley himself has said that there will be a 4-hour director’s cut on AppleTV+ at a later date. 

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I discuss what worked and didn’t work about this film, what it’s trying to say about Napoleon, and how to place the film in the context of Scott’s staggering career.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Gotham and NYFCC awards. Furiosa trailer 5:09

The Short Take: Our general impressions of Napoleon. (Spoiler-free.) 28:08

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should see Napoleon? How history dad friendly is it? (Spoiler-free.) 40:37

SPOILER MODE What surprised us about the film? How does the film portray Napoleon and Josephine’s relationship? 51:43

The Rhetorical Situation: What is the thesis of this film? And what notes would we give it were it a student paper? 57:40

Oscars Watch: In which categories could Napoleon garner nominations? An extended conversation about visual effects. Will Ridley Scott ever get an Oscar? 1:30:00

Image Credit: Deadline

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We love going to the movies, but that doesn’t stop us from cozying up at home with Netflix too. In this episode of The Long Take Review, we discuss three films currently available on Netflix: Todd Haynes’ May December, David Fincher’s The Killer, and Nyad, the first narrative feature directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.

To many critics’ surprise, May December has been warmly received by wider audiences and, less surprisingly, creating a stir on the Internet. Loosely based on the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau, Haynes’ funny yet chilling melodrama follows an actress (Natalie Portman) who has been cast to play a woman (Julianne Moore) who went to jail for having a sexual relationship with a seventh grader she later married (Charles Melton). In our review, we discuss what the film might be saying about acting, performance, and truth, as well as share which performance we liked best.

In contrast, David Fincher’s The Killer seems to have quietly come and gone. Starring Michael Fassbender as a professional assassin who tries to work and live by a disciplined mantra, Fincher’s contemplative and ironic thriller wraps high octane action sequences in a thought exercise as methodical and precise as its protagonist aspires to be. Through our discussion, we debate how how successful the titular killer really is, how elevated a genre film this might be, and how much we love Tilda Swinton (that last one was less of a debate).

For us, the most polarizing film among this trio was Nyad, the sports biopic about long distance swimmer Diana Nyad. Intercut with documentary footage and flashbacks to Nyad’s past, this film chronicles the athlete’s somewhat controversial attempts to swim uninterrupted and unaided from Cuba to the Florida Keys. The film stars Annette Benning as Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster as her best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll. The three of us had very different takes on Annette Benning’s performance, and evaluated the film as both a biopic and an inspirational sports movie.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Check-In: Final SAG-AFTRA strike update. National Board of Review awards. Indie Spirit nominations. Godzilla and Wonka hype. 3:29

The Short Take: Our general impressions of May December, Nyad, and The Killer, in that order. (Spoiler-free.) 16:29

The Recommendation Algorithm: Which of these three films would we recommend, and to whom? (Spoiler-free.) 41:49

SPOILER MODE We do reference the other films, but our main discussions begin with May Decembr and then move on to Nyad and The Killer. 52:38

Oscars Watch: Which of these three films has the best chance at Oscar noms? Will Annette Benning ever win an Oscar? 1:54:40

Image Credit: Netflix and IndieWire

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Legendary director Hayao Miyzaki was set to retire after The Wind Rises in 2013. He later decided that he had at least one more film in him: The Boy and the Heron, which is playing in theaters now. At a later date, it will presumably stream on Max, where most other Studio Ghibli films reside.

Is this Miyazaki’s last film, for real this time? There are already rumors from studio executives that he may already have an idea for yet another film. How might that uncertainty influence how we view The Boy and the Heron, which is one of Miyazaki’s most surreal and poignant works. It’s a staggeringly beautiful fusion of motifs that span his entire body of work. Moviegoers seem to agree, as the film opened in theaters with surprisingly strong box office numbers.

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I tease out some of the film’s subtext about war, grief, coming of age, succession, fantasy, and artistic creation. We also contemplate Miyzaki’s legacy and realize how little any of us know about birds.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Update Our takes on the recently announced Golden Globe nominations. 3:01

The Short Take We each share our prior relationship with Miyazaki’s prior films before our general impressions of his latest film. 30:30

The Recommendation Algorithm To what extent is this film made for Miyazaki fans vs. curious firs time viewers? 41:15

SPOILER MODE 52:16

The Rhetorical Situation What is this film saying about Miyazaki’s legacy? About his own thoughts and feelings as he concludes his career? How does our perception of the film change depending on whether or not we think this is his last one? 1:03:48

Oscars Watch Does this film have a chance to win Best Animated Feature? Can it reach beyond that category? 1:45:20

Image Credit: IndieWire

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While everyone else bakes their gingerbread, spins their dreidels, and cozies up next to their fires, we’re debating which films and artists have gained and — in some cases — lost momentum in the Oscar race. Critics’ groups have begun handing out awards, and, most notably, the newly reconstituted Golden Globe Awards have announced their nominations. A lot is still in flux, but some clear frontrunners have emerged. Will Barbie and Oppenheimer continue to control the 2023 movie narrative? Which new films being released over the holidays could shake up the status quo?

If you’re wondering which awards season contenders you need to catch up on over the holiday break, we’ve got you covered as we analyze 8 of the biggest categories: the four acting categories, two screenplay categories, director, and picture. We agree, disagree, and throw around some wild possibilities. And the entire episode is SPOILER FREE!

We’d also like to wish all of our listeners Happy Holidays. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the genesis of The Long Take Review this year, and love sharing conversations with all of you. If you’d like us to gift us something this season, share an episode with a friend who loves movies!

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Supporting Actor 3:47

Supporting Actress 12:22

Original Screenplay 19:29

Adapted Screenplay 31:14

Actor 43:17

Actress 57:41

Director 1:11:46

Best Picture 1:25:26

Image Credit: IndieWire, NPR, Hollywood Reporter, Vogue, NYT

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The Golden Globes have long had the reputation of being Hollywood’s biggest party, but the recent exposure of corruption and scandal plaguing their voting body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, shut that party down. Celebrities boycotted them. NBC dropped them. It looked as if the Golden Globes would be no more. Last June, however, the HFPA disbanded, Dick Clark Productions bought the show, and CBS agreed to broadcast the ceremony. Rising from the ashes, the 81st Golden Globe Awards aired on CBS and Paramount+ this past Sunday.

Did the Globes successfully reinvent themselves, though? To what extent did this year’s ceremony and winners reflect a different voting body? Was it new and improved? Was it the loose, fun time of days yore? In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T. and I answer these questions, share our reactions to the show, and examine the winners as potential bellwethers for the Oscars. Which speeches gave the biggest awards season boosts? Which wins surprised us and/or warmed our hearts the most? And in what context does Jen use the phrase “Schrodinger’s Oscar?”

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Vanity Fair

Lily Gladstone, above, won Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

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Oscar nominations will be announced on Tuesday morning, and in anticipation of that fast-approaching mile marker in awards season, most Oscars podcasts have been releasing episodes with their full set of predictions. We went in the opposite direction, and awarded our personal favorites for the year, before we become unduly influenced by the Academy’s lineup.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, we host our own awards ceremony, The Long Take Review Awards…or LTRs…or “Letters,” as we’re hoping to call them. We cover the four acting categories, director, and picture, with a quick dip into the screenplay categories at the very end. Tune in to hear our consensus nominees, some shout-outs to less recognized but very much deserving performances or films, and our very civil and collaborative debate as we decide on a winner live during the show.

In future posts on The Long Take Substack, Jen will share each of our full lists of nominees, as well as our picks in other categories we didn’t have time to discuss.

Categories in Order Discussed

Supporting Actor 5:41

Supporting Actress 17:37

Actor 32:01

Actress 50:12

Director 1:09:53

Picture 1:24:12

Show Note: To listen to the story about Lily Gladstone’s gift from Martin Scorsese, go to 53:12 in this episode of Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men. Jen summarized the story poorly on our episode — it was a hand-painted model of a Sicilian horse cart that appeared in the background of Mean Streets (1973). The whole episode of Little Gold Men (live!) is worth a listen, but that story as told by Lily Gladstone is especially beautiful.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Oscar nominations are finally here! On Tuesday January 23rd, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the Oscars — announced their nominations in all 23 categories during a live broadcast on ABC. A full house of bleary-eyed Angelenos cheered when hosts Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz named welcome surprises like America Ferrera. Current frontrunner Oppenheimer was the big winner of the day with 13 nominations. And two notable snubs for Barbie have sparked considerable discourse and, in some cases, outrage.  

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, and I share our reactions to this year’s nominations: surprises that made us happy, categories that made us sad, and favorites we were relieved to see. Our conversation is a proprietary blend of distanced punditry and personal takes. We end with why the Oscars matter to us, even when they let us down. 

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Show Note: At one point Jen ascribed a random, exaggerated number to legendary composer John Williams’ Oscar nominations. She then edited in audio of the correct number, but it sounds very mismatched and weird. (She’s an amateur podcast editor at best!) Please do not be alarmed by this.

Image Credit: Reuters

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While Internet fires continue to rage after Barbie visionaries Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie did not get nominated for Best Director and Best Actress respectively, Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut, American Fiction, quietly over-performed with five Oscar nominations. Supporting Actor was a little unexpected, and Score was a total surprise, indicating broader strength and support for the film.

The relatively small dramedy, adapted from Percival Everett’s novel, Erasure, follows a professor and fiction writer named Thelonious “Monk” Ellison as he struggles to write a best seller because, according to his editor, his books aren’t “Black” enough. While attending a conference in his hometown of Boston (woot woot!), Monk realizes that he must take on more of a role in the family he has, up until then, kept at arm’s length. The critically acclaimed film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it premiered, and it is currently playing in theaters everywhere. It will be available to buy at home on February 6. With Amazon MGM Studios as its distributor the film will presumably stream on Amazon Prime Video at a later date. 

During this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I discuss how the film engages with issues of race, identity, representation, inclusivity, authenticity, commercialism, classism, genre, and literary taste. We also realize that American Fiction has more in common with Barbie than one might think, as we reference attitudes towards Greta Gerwig’s elevated box office juggernaut on several occasions. Tune in to find out why.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Update Greg shares his takes on the Oscars and we tackle the post-nominations Barbie discourse. 4:37

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of American Fiction. A brief Jeffrey Wright lovefest ensues. 18:35

The Recommendation Algorithm Why is this an awards movie that cinephiles can recommend to more of their friends? 28:54

SPOILER MODE What is this film actually trying to say about racial stereotypes? About American fiction? And what was that ending all about? 35:28

The Rhetorical Situation What does the literary component of this story add to the discussion of race and cultural representation? How do the issues debated in the film apply to the teaching of academic writing? This one has a lot for the writing teachers out there! 1:17:12

Oscars Watch American Fiction has been nominated for five Academy Awards. Can it win any of them? 1:31:39

Image Credit: Vox

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It may seem premature to speculate about next awards season when we haven’t even made it to the Oscars, but that’s never stopped us before! The Sundance Film Festival wrapped last week at Park City, Utah and online. It’s the first big film festival of the new year and, in recent years, has premiered several Oscar-winning films, such as Navalny (2022), Coda (2021), Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), and Minari (2020). Oscar buzz aside, there’s usually a few exciting acquisitions, and sometimes even some bidding wars as distributors try to snatch up films they think will become hits upon release. 

P.T. and I were not able to attend in person, but we did take advantage of several of the online screenings on offer. In this episode of The Long Take Review, we distill our review reading and podcast listening to identify the films that seemed to come out of Sundance with the most buzz. Then we share our loose rankings of the films we watched, from most to least favorite. Which films or actors could get the most Oscars traction next year? How might the distributor (or a lack thereof) of certain films impact their future releases and awards chances? And why couldn’t Jen quite get into the documentary about moths? Put on your hipster chic beanies and parkas and listen as we try to answer these questions. 

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: NYT

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The Chiefs may be on their way to Disneyland, but we’re going to the movies. The Super Bowl is, of course, famous for its high-powered ads, and this year was no exception, with several new movie trailers airing during the live broadcast. Can Deadpool save the MCU? Are we entering the era of unsolicited 90s reboots? And should Jen binge all of the Planet of the Apes movies? In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T. and I share our thoughts on all the newest and most noteworthy trailers.

While Las Vegas readied for the big game, Hollywood celebrated the best directors of the year at an un-televised awards ceremony for the Director’s Guild of America (DGA). Before we dive into the Super Bowl ads, we discuss the DGA winners and speculate as to how they might impact the Oscar race.

Image Credit: IndieWire

Show Notes:

After we recorded, we realized we didn’t talk about the big announcement that the Oscars are planning to add a Best Casting category in 2025. We’ll discuss it on our next episode.

Jen compliments Judd Appatow on his opening monologue at the DGAs. You can watch that here.

And here are all the trailers we discuss, in case you need to watch them before you listen. Listed in alphabetical order.

A Quiet Place: Day One

Deadpool & Wolverine

Despicable Me 4

If

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Monkey Man

Twisters

Wicked

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Andrew Haigh’s romantic fantasy, All of Us Strangers, got shut out of the Oscars, with zero nominations. And that’s a shame. A strong ensemble cast — Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, and Jamie Bell — delivers subtle yet heartbreaking performances. The screenplay adapts its source material with a series of bold choices. And it shows us things we think we know in completely unexpected and fresh ways.

The unusual story of All of Us Strangers follows Adam, a screenwriter who lives alone in London and has to confront the loss of his parents along with the prospect of starting a new relationship.

This smaller, quieter take on genre and LGTBQ+ identity does, at least, have six nominations at the British Oscars, otherwise known as The BAFTAs. The haunting film was also named one of the top ten independent films by the National Board of Review. And, of course, we awarded an LTR or “Letter” to Andrew Scott for Best Actor. 

The film only recently left theaters and arrives on Hulu on Thursday February 22nd.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, P.T., and I lament how under-appreciated All of Us Strangers has been this awards season and consider the competing interpretations of not only the events within but the basic premise of the film.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Update Oscar nominee luncheon, and the new Best Casting category 4:40

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of All of Us Strangers. That is, how much did we all cry? 17:40

The Recommendation Algorithm To whom might this film appeal and why might that be difficult to determine? 24:18

SPOILER MODE What are the “rules” of this film and how should we interpret what we see? Does the ending work? And what does it mean? 29:10

The Rhetorical Situation What genre or genres does this film occupy and what do those potential genres afford the story? Why does the story need to be told in this way? 1:07:30

Oscars Watch If the Oscars Fairy paid is a visit, which nominees would we swap out to make room for All of Us Strangers? And what BAFTAs, if any, could the film win? 1:26:45

Image Credit: LA Times

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Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest is one of the ten Best Picture nominees at the Oscars, as well as one of the films nominated for Best International Feature. Even the Producer’s Guild of America, which typically favors more mainstream blockbusters rather than arthouse films — nevermind international ones — included the disturbing Holocaust film in its nominations.

The film adopts an immersive fly-on-the-wall view of the family of Auschwitz’s manager or commandant, who live just on the other side of a wall, next to the concentration camp. We never see what’s happening on the other side of the wall, but we can hear more than enough through the chilling sound design.

The film is still playing in theaters, but is also available to buy digitally at home.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and discuss why others should try to see this movie despite its upsetting subject matter. We then perform a close reading of the film, with special attention to the bold formal choices. What does Glazer have to say about the rise of fascism, domesticity’s role in it, and about how we can relate to this painful past? (And we never once use the phrase “banality of evil” like everyone else did.)

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Update EE BAFTA reactions. Who were the big winners? To what extent are the British gonna British? 2:50

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of The Zone of Interest. What did we brace ourselves for and how did the film ultimately surprise us? 28:10

The Recommendation Algorithm Can we recommend this film to anyone when it’s so hard to watch? How do we talk about it without making it sound like vegetables or homework? 37:31

SPOILER MODE What explanations can we come up with for several haunting yet ambiguous scenes? What scenes or moments stick with us long after we’ve seen the film? 49:18

The Rhetorical Situation History, palimpsests, and the means of production. 1:27:20

Oscars Watch What realistically can The Zone of Interest win, especially outside of International Feature? Can it create an upsets? 1:49:22

Notes:

In case you are wondering, Jen’s intro for P.T. references BAFTA’s “rising star” award and her intro for Greg references a bit Hugh Grant did when he presented the Best Director category:

Oompa Loompa doompety dee, now the best director category…

Oompa Loompa doompety dong, most of these films were, frankly, too long…

Ooompa Loompa doompety da, but for some reason the nominees are...

Greg’s response references the opening skit for the BAFTAs ceremony, im which David Tennant has to find a dog sitter for “Bark Ruffalo.” Tennant jokes that Bark Ruffalo, a tiny white dog, is actually being played by Andy Serkis.

Image Credit: LA Times

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Out of all the Best Picture nominees this year, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro has probably generated the most “discourse,” amongst film critics and Internet users alike. The film in general has been polarizing, but narratives like “it’s just Oscar bait” or “Bradley Cooper is so desperate to win an Oscar” have also formed. The Academy nominated the film for seven Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Original Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling, Cinematography, and Sound, but it has won very little since nomination day. Is this film getting a fair shake? Would it have performed in any other year?

Maestro tells the multi-decade story of the marriage between actress Felicia Montealegre, played by Carrie Mulligan, and composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, played by Bradley Cooper. The big, sweeping, romantic biopic is now streaming on Netflix.  

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, and I discuss our theories as to why this film has received so much criticism and share what worked and didn’t work for us personally. Then, we try to figure out why everyone is being so tough on the mega-talented Bradley Cooper.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: The New York Times

Movie News Update It was a big awards season weekend! We recap the SAG, PGA, and Indie Spirit Awards 2:56

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Maestro. 30:30

The Recommendation Algorithm Who should watch this? And do you need to already know and love Leonard Bernstein to appreciate it? 35:29

SPOILER MODE What is the thesis of the film? What is it trying to say about Leonard Bernstein? 41:47

The Rhetorical Situation Critical discourse surrounding the film, Netflix, and Bradley Cooper. 1:16:20

Oscars Watch Is this film going home empty-handed on Oscar Sunday? 1:40:06

Image Credit: The New Yorker

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After multiple delays due to historic Hollywood labor disputes, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two finally arrives in theaters this weekend. His 2021 hit Dune: Part One made $433 million worldwide, and cleaned up at the Oscars with six Academy Awards. The film was not immune to discourse, however. Many critics claimed they couldn’t pass judgment upon the film until they saw how the story completed in Part Two. Others were upset that they only got half a movie. Regardless, early reviews of Part Two seem very positive, with a 4.5 (out of 5) average on Letterboxd and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. So it seems like everyone is ready to get hyped. 

We’re hyped too. On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I celebrate Dune: Part One and the Dune franchise more generally in order to prepare for Dune: Part Two. We share our memories of seeing Dune: Part One, discuss the history of the franchise, and try to pinpoint why Villeneuve’s adaptation is the most successful to date. Then we have way too much fun sharing our Top Three Things We Love About Dune. To round out the conversation, we look back at Part One’s performance at the Oscars and speculate as to how Dune: Part Two might fare at next year’s ceremony.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: The New Yorker

The Short Take We walk down memory lane and reflect on our reactions to Dune: Part One. 4:21

SPOILER MODE The history of the wider franchise and The Top Three Things We Love About Dune. 20:12

Oscars Watch How did Dune: Part One perform at the Oscars? And what might we expect for Dune: Part Two? 1:35:55

Show Notes:

Jen’s original Dune: Part One review referenced in this episode.

Here is some news coverage of the Nolan/Villeneuve team-up we mentioned, plus the original clip from the Tenet screening that started the story.

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Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is finally here! And only one weekend into its opening, the prestige blockbuster has already delivered at the box office, bringing in $81.5 million domestic and $178.5 million global at the time of this post. Meanwhile, speculation percolates as to whether or when Villeneuve plans to make a third Dune film, presumably based on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah. Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed that there will be a third film. How long will fans hang in the balance, hungry for more?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I rejoice and revel in our very recent (and, in Greg’s case, multiple!) viewings of Dune: Part Two. We also try to interpret all that we have seen (and, in some cases, read).

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: LA Times

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Dune: Part Two. 4:14

The Recommendation Algorithm Can you jump in without having seen Part One? Should you see this in IMAX or at a Dolby theater? Plus, we give a popcorn bucket/merch report from each of our theaters: AMC, Regal, and the Alamo Drafthouse. 7:57

SPOILER MODE What surprised those of us who have read vs. not read the books? What do certain reveals or plot twists contribute to the story? 20:22

The Rhetorical Situation How well does this film subvert or dispel the White Savior Narrative that some critics associate with the Dune mythology? What is this film saying about politics, power, and prophecies? Is Paul Atreides the hero of this film? 46:23

Our Favs After we conclude The Rhetorical Situation, we celebrate the cast of this film and shout out our favorite performances. The conversation then devolves into us just naming and gawking at shots, visual effects, or other elements of the film we loved. 1:05:28

Oscars Watch Now that we’ve seen the film, what do we think its Oscars chances are next year? Had it been released as originally planned, how would it have fared at this year’s Oscars? 1:37:09

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Happy Oscars week, everyone! Hollywood’s biggest night is this Sunday, March 10. The ceremony will air live on ABC at 4PT/7ET. Voting closed last week, and all the guilds and other awards groups have given out their prizes. So we have all the clues we’re going to get to predict who takes home a gold statuette this weekend. 

Need some help with your office Oscar pool? Want to be more informed at the party you’ve been invited to? We at The Long Take Review are here to help. Across two episodes, we will share our final predictions in each category, while comparing those predictions to which nominees we personally think should win.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I take on 12 of the 23 categories: Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, International Feature, Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, all three shorts categories, Director, and Best Picture. Greg has seen EVERY single Oscar-nominated film, including all the shorts. So he has special insight into many categories that trip up most folks. I have not seen all the films, but have been keeping my ear to the industry ground all year and can share the pundits’ most popular picks. Later in the week, P.T., Antonio, and I will tackle the remaining 11 categories and provide additional commentary on Best Picture.

Wondering how you can watch the Oscars? The ABC app and website will host a livestream, but you will need a login from another cable/tv provider to log in. For cord cutters, the best way to watch is to subscribe to a streaming service that offers live TV. I usually upgrade my Hulu subscription to Hulu Live for the month and then cancel it. They offer a recording feature that makes it easier to skip commercials if you want to watch on a slight delay or go back to something you missed.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Oscars.org

Best Actor 17:00

Best Supporting Actress 23:54

Best Adapted Screenplay 32:48

Best Original Score 43:11

Best International Feature Film 52:09

Best Animated Feature Film 59:10

Best Animated Short Film 1:05:35

Best Documentary Feature Film 1:15:31

Best Documentary Short Film 1:21:35

Best Live Action Short Film 1:26:44

Best Director 1:38:50

Best Picture 1:45:10

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Hollywood’s biggest night is only days away, this Sunday, March 10. The ceremony will air live on ABC at 4PT/7ET. Voting has closed. All the precursors have been awarded. It’s time to place your bets and shoot your shot!

Need some help with your office Oscar pool? Want to be more informed at the party you’ve been invited to? We at The Long Take Review are here to help. Across two episodes, we will share our final predictions in each category, while comparing those predictions to which nominees we personally think should win.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, and I take on 12 of the 23 categories: Actress, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, Production Design, Visual Effects, Sound, Film Editing, Cinematography, Original Song, and Best Picture. P.T. is quick with stats and the history of past winners, Jen proposes her grand unifying theory of this year’s winners, and Antonio reminds us that sometimes what’s actually good about these movies matters too. We make a crack(pot?) prognosticating team.

Want to predict alongside us? We’ve made our own ballot that listeners can use to test their own skills Sunday night. You can download it using the link below and print copies for your own Oscar party. After you’ve filled it out, you can share a photo with us on Instagram and Threads using #ltrpod.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Oscars.org

Best Actress 13:28

Best Supporting Actor 31:37

Best Original Screenplay 44:02

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 59:50

Best Costume Design 1:13:20

Best Production Design 1:22:43

Best Visual Effects 1:33:30

Best Sound 1:45:11

Best Film Editing 1:21:35

Best Cinematography 1:57:57

Best Original Song 2:03:376

Best Picture 2:15:19

Note: We use the terms “above the line” and “below the line” throughout the episode. “Above the line” typically refers to categories with more recognizable people associated with them: actors, writers, and directors. “Below the line,” in contrast, includes all the technical artists, designers, and musicians in more technical or craft categories. The phrases themselves originated from film budgets that typically use a line in the top sheet to separate the costs incurred by these two groups. 

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That’s a wrap, folks! We have arrived at the end of awards season, with one of the better Oscar telecasts in recent memory. Oppenheimer’s predicted success largely came to fruition, but there were also some key surprises in categories Oppenheimer did not take.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I share our experience watching the 96th Academy Awards, evaluate this year’s Oscars as a televised show, and dissect all the winners, diagnosing the surprises and celebrating what made us happy. Which jokes landed? What do the upsets tell us about the evolution of the Academy or how to become better prognosticators? And why is Ryan Gosling the ultimate winner of the night?

We want to thank all our listeners for following along with us all season. We’ve had a blast, and can’t wait to do it all again.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Vox

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When Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last year, many critics were blown away by it, but unsure whether or not it would be “too weird” for the Academy. Months later, the fantastical dark comedy would win four Oscars: Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume, and, of course, one of the biggest surprises of the night, Emma Stone for Best Actress. 

The nouveau-Frankenstein tale was the only Best Picture nominee that we never got around to reviewing before the Oscars. But it recently became available to stream on Hulu, and as such a discussion of the film becomes timely once again.

Poor Things follows the growth and development of Bella Baxter, a woman subjected to the experiments of mad scientist turned adoptive father, Godwin Baxter. It’s a dark comedy that is as much about patriarchal control over the female body as it is about the exaltations and harsh realities of being alive. 

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T. and I offer up theories as to why Yorgos Lanthimos makes so many of the bold artistic and narrative choices that he does, and do our best to unpack all the meaning we can find. We talk Brechtian defamiliarization, female hysteria in Victorian literature, social norms, monsters, and ideologies. It’s one of the nerdiest conversations we’ve ever had.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: IndieWire

Movie News Update Another Yorgos Lanthimos film on the way. All that SXSW Film Festival buzz. 4:21

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Poor Things. 16:11

The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? Will it, in fact, be too weird for some? 24:07

SPOILER MODE What is Poor Things trying to say? How does its style facilitate its substance? What do we make of the criticisms of this film? 34:23

The Rhetorical Situation What role does ideology play in this film? 1:45:27

Notes:

Here’s a link the Viktor Shklovsky essay P.T. quotes in this episode.

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Last month, P.T. and I traveled to Albuquerque for an academic conference hosted by the Southwest Popular and American Culture Association. Like Oppenheimer, we thought that if we could find a way to combine podcasting with New Mexico, our lives would be perfect. We presented on a panel titled “Pedagogy and Popular Culture Roundtable: Between Two Scholastic Worlds: Teaching, Blogging, and Podcasting” with our dear colleague and host of The Nostalgia Test Podcast, Dan Dissinger. It’s a lot of shop talk and behind-the-scenes-stories about what it’s like to be an academic and a podcaster. We hope you enjoy it and learn a little something about what we do to make this show along the way. 

A big thank you to SWPACA for having us, and to everyone in the live audience, especially those who asked us questions! A special shout-out goes to the A/V team supporting the conference. We wouldn’t have been able to record this without them.

We’ll be back to our regular programming next week, hopefully with a Movie Hype Draft for upcoming releases for the rest of the year!

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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With the Oscars for 2023 releases in the rearview mirror, we look to the movie slate for the rest 2024. And we’re left with a lot of questions. With the studios’ slow resolution of the actor and writer strikes halting production for months, for example, will the release schedule feel thinner than years past? And considering Marvel has scaled back in the wake of recent flops and the loss of an actor who was supposed to play their primary villain for the foreseeable future, will the handful of summer blockbusters lined up be enough to keep the box office afloat? Will there be less competition at the Oscars next year?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I try to wrap our heads around the rest of the year in film via a Movie Hype Draft. Each of us must select four different films that we think are the most anticipated — in the eyes of the public, critics, Oscar voters, or maybe just our hearts. In the process, we discuss sequels and prequels, rising stars, insanely early Oscar buzz, and the types of movies we can never resist.

We plan to score our picks this time next year, using three combined metrics: box office, awards, and our own happiness score. Once a film was selected, it was no longer eligible, which means that some of us tried to strategize based on our turn order and what we thought our friends would pick. After you’ve listened to the episode, we’d love to hear your thoughts on whose roster gets you the most hyped.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[SPOILER WARNING: I will list our final picks below. If you have not listened to the episode and would prefer to hear our discussion before voting, please turn back now!]

Antonio’s Picks

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (dir. George Miller)

Ella McCay (dir. James L. Brooks)

We Live in Time (dir. John Crowley)

Hard Truths (dir. Mike Leigh)

Greg’s Picks

Megalopolis (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)

Monkey Man (dir. Dev Patel)

The Nickel Boys (dir. Ramell Ross)

Twisters (dir. Lee Isaac Chung)

Jen’s Picks

Blitz (dir. Steve McQueen)

Nosferatu (dir. Robert Eggers)

Deadpool & Wolverine (dir. Shawn Levy)

Bird (dir. Andrea Arnold)

P.T.’s Picks

The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim (dir. Kenji Kamiyama)

Kinds of Kindness (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

I Saw the TV Glow (dir. Jane Schoebrun)

Evil Does Not Exist (dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

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Monkey Man, directed by and starring Dev Patel, opened this past weekend. That, apparently, was a small miracle. The cast crew had to maintain a covid “bubble” during the pandemic, Dev Patel broke his hand during filming on location in Indonesia, Netflix dumped the film, their co-financier Bron Studios went bankrupt, and then, after all seemed lost, Academy Award winner Jordan Peele and Universal Studios swooped in to revive it.

Now, the film seems to have risen above all that, receiving rave reviews out of the SXSW Film Festival, where it premiered, and recouping its 10 million dollar budget opening weekend, second only to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, whose budget was upwards of $150 million.

The brutal action film marketed as “John Wick in India” tells the story of Kid, a monkey-masked fighter who plots to avenge crimes committed against his village and family. In the process, he realizes the extent to which corruption, capitalism, globalization, and the vestiges of colonial rule have systemically oppressed the poor and powerless around him. 

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I debate to what extent the John Wick comparison is accurate. We then go on to unpack the many narrative layers of the story, share our thoughts on the style of filmmaking, and try our best to examine how contextual factors such as the tumultuous production, the globalized political milieu, and Jordan Peele’s potential editorial influence impacted this film.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Variety

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Monkey Man. 2:55

The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? How much is it actually like John Wick? 13:19

SPOILER MODE How simple or complicated is this story? How are the different layers working together? What does this film have to say about Indian society? Politics? Religion? Mythology? Socioeconomic disparities? 25:05

The Rhetorical Situation We attempt to piece together the timeline of challenges Monkey Man faced in its making. Why did Netflix drop the film? How has the rise of global tech companies influenced filmmaking? What influence did Jordan Peele have on the final version? 1:09:28

Oscars Watch Does Monkey Man have a shot at any Oscars? 1:50:00

Notes:

Here are the news articles that informed our discussion:

Slate’s “Dev Patel’s Monkey Man Has a Bold New Vision.”

Vulture’s “How Did Monkey Man Swing from Netflix to Universal?”

Deadline’s “Dev Patel On How Jordan Peele Swung A Theatrical Release For ‘Monkey Man.’”

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At the Long Take Review, we have one eye always on the Oscar race. Usually, that means we are looking forward to the upcoming Academy Awards, talking through the race as it happens. But given our collective history of caring about these silly awards, we thought it would be fun to occasionally step back and train our eye on an earlier year in Oscar history. Regular listeners know we frequently talk about what we would change in the current race if we had the power of an Oscar Fairy; we decided to use that magic wand on the past with this Oscar Fairy Flashback, in which we’ll discuss what we would, in hindsight, like to change about the nominees and winners from a chosen year.

To spice up the discussion, P.T. designed a point spending system. Antonio, P.T., and I each start out with 10 points. To swap out a nominee in a below-the-line category (the technical and production crew categories as well as speciality film categories like International, Animated, Documentary), we have to spend 1 point; swapping out a nominee in an above-the-line category (screenplay, acting, or directing) requires 2 points; and swapping out a best picture nominee is 3 points. To change the winner within a given category costs double points: so 2 points to change the winner below-the-line, 4 points for above, and 6 points for best picture.

In this episode’s Oscar Fairy Flashback, we go back a decade to the 86th Academy Awards, held on March 2, 2014 and honoring the films of 2013. Some of the big contenders that year were American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street, Captain Phillips, The Dallas Buyer’s Club, and Nebraska. Which got more nominations than they deserved? Which will we refuse to touch because they were so good? What other films from that year deserved to be in the Oscars conversation to begin with? And will P.T. whine about Martin Scorsese not winning enough? (Spoiler: he will.)

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movie News Update: WGA winners, Cannes Film Festival Line-up, and CinemaCon buzz. 3:22

Oscar Fairy Flashback:

P.T. reviews the rules and provides an overview of that year’s big winners. 12:15

We share who we were and what we were doing during the year leading up to the 2014 Oscars. 16:38

We propose our desired changes and hash it all out from there. 29:27

Editor’s Note: P.T. checked the math on our final picks after we finished recording, and it turns out he did have enough points left for all the screenplay changes he proposed. So he gave 2 points back to Antonio and used his remaining points. The changes we made as a group do not change; only who spent the points on those changes.

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We’ll basically take any excuse to talk about Dune on this show, but for this episode we had two fairly good reasons. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two recently became available to rent or buy at home, and it likely won’t be long before the science fiction epic hits streaming services — I would guess on Max this summer. Now that the film has become more widely accessible, we thought that it would be a great time to revisit it and dig a little deeper. 

Meanwhile, we have a cadre of Star Wars podcaster friends who have not had a designated place to geek out about the Dune franchise. So, for this episode, we recruited Greg McLaughlin of The Rebel Base Card Podcast and Ross Hollebon of The Album Cockpit Podcast to reflect on what makes Dune: Part Two so exceptional. They share their respective experiences watching it, their prior relationship to it, and, since we’re all Star Wars fans, we contemplate the extent to which Star Wars and Dune intersect or influence one another. After that, we round out the conversation by picking our favorite characters and scenes, with a little bit of Oscars talk thrown in at the very end. Keep listening after the outro for our own “extended edition” of the episode. 

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Elle

Note: The Director’s Cut DGA Podcast episode with Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve that Greg C. referred to during the episode.

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After a strike-induced 8-month delay, Luca Guadagnino’s psychosexual sports drama, Challengers has finally bounced into theaters. The film follows a tennis coach and her star player husband who find themselves competing against a former friend and lover. A powerhouse trio comprises the cast: household name Zendaya, Mike Faist, who stood out as Riff in West Side Story, and Josh O’Connor, is best known for playing Prince Charles on Netflix’s The Crown. Guadagnino, for those who might not know, directed Oscar-winner Call Me By Your Name (2017), starring Timothee Chalamet. Since Amazon MGM Studios has distribution rights in the U.S., Challengers will likely be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run. 

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, P.T., and I volley a variety of reactions to and interpretations of the film, which is aggressive and bold in its style yet subtle or ambiguous in its storytelling. Antonio lends his expert knowledge of tennis to our discussion as we assess this as a sports movie, Jen overanalyzes the relationship drama, and P.T. brings a critical eye to the film form and character development. For about 15 seconds there, we were actually podcasting.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

Movies News Update Quentin Tarantino makes a big announcement. 3:35

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Challengers. 6:16

The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? Do you need to be a tennis fan to enjoy it? Does the marketing of the film set false expectations about how much sex is in it? 13:08

SPOILER MODE What actually happened in that final scene? 26:07

The Rhetorical Situation Jen pathetically attempts to explain the concept of homosocial male desire from literary theory and how it guided her interpretation of the film. 1:02:55

Which character is our favorite/for whom were we rooting during the film? 1:15:24

Oscars Watch Does Challengers have a shot at any Oscar nominations? 1:37:54

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May the 4th be with you! Just in time for Star Wars Day this year, The Phantom Menace, the 1999 prequel film written and directed by George Lucas, returned to theaters in honor of its 25th anniversary. In those 25 years, the film has been on a tumultuous journey. After its initial release, it withstood harsh reviews from critics and backlash from fans. The more toxic among them harassed actors like Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best. Fast forward to today and the film seems to be beloved by many. In fact, to the surprise of The Hollywood Reporter, The Phantom Menace came in second at the box office this past weekend, beating out Zendaya’s new film, Challengers.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I take a trip down memory lane to our initial reactions to and relationship with The Phantom Menace, as well as reflect on our experience seeing the film again in theaters this past weekend. We try to make sense of the public perception of this film over the years, contemplate its broader influence on the history of cinema, share all of our favorites, and end by, of course, discussing what Oscars the epic space opera could have or should have won. Every podcast has a beginning, and it does seem as though this film was a genesis moment for all three of us.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: StarWars.com

Looking Back at 1999 We each share memories about the first time we saw The Phantom Menace. 3:52

The Legacy of The Phantom Menace How did this film forever change filmmaking? 17:48

Our Re-Release Experience in 2024 We each share our experience seeing The Phantom Menace in theaters this past weekend. What did we notice this time around? 33:45

The Rhetorical Situation Jen pathetically attempts to explain the concept of homosocial male desire from literary theory and how it guided her interpretation of the film. 1:06:53

Our Own (Unsolicited) Notes What would we go back and change about this film if we could? 1:31:55

Our Favs We try (and mostly fail) to name our favorites in a lightning round fshion. Includes favorite character, glup schitto, cringy line of dialogue, Queen Amidala fit, pod racer, Jedi council member, scene, and shot. 1:55:37

Oscars Watch Did this film get nominated for any Oscars? In which categories would we have given it a golden statue? 2:20:15

Show Notes:

This is the TED podcast with Ahmed Best that Greg referred to during the episode.

Jen referred to “Dave Filoni’s transcendent” monologue about how The Duel of the Fates connects to Return of the Jedi. Here’s an IGN article about it. You can also watch the whole thing during the episode of the Disney Gallery about The Mandalorian (on Disney+).

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Thirty years after the original Mad Max films — Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2: Road Warrior (1981), and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985) — George Miller wowed critics and Academy voters with Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). The dystopian post-apocalyptic action spectacle won six Oscars, and has earned a spot on countless best of lists for 2015, the decade, and even the century. It stands to reason, then, that many eagerly await the next installment in the franchise: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The prequel film, which premieres at the Cannes Film Festival tomorrow and hits theaters May 23rd, recounts the traumatic past of Fury Road’s most beloved character.

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I try to pass the time as we impatiently wait for Furiosa by looking back at the entire franchise to date. We recall our initial reactions to all the films (some made as recently as this past weekend!), try to trace common themes and elements across them, and rank them all based on personal preference. We eventually focus in on Fury Road and try to determine what made it so exceptional. Along the way, P.T. shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories that re-contextualize a lot of what we notice in Miller’s work. The episode concludes with our discussion of early reviews of Furiosa as well as our speculation for it and the summer box office more broadly. Rev your engines and buckle up for another deep dive of an episode!

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Variety, LA Times, and IMDb

The Mad Max Franchise We each share how we have engaged with the franchise and what our reactions to the different films are. What appeals to us about this franchise? What common themes or elements can we trace across all the films? 4:58

To what extent has the role of women and feminism in these films evolved? 29:59

What context about the production or George Miller’s history can help us understand the franchise better? (There’s more of this throughout the rest of the episode as well.) How are we supposed to think about the original trilogy in relation to Fury Road? 41:46

P.T. asks Jen to guess what happens at the end of Beyond Thunderdome. 54:45

We very quickly rank all four films. 1:14:40

Oscars Watch Why did Fury Road win so many Oscars? Why is it so exceptional? 1:18:01

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Preview How do we think Furiosa will compare to Fury Road? What have early reviews of the film been saying? And what does the success of this film mean for the summer box office? 1:29:50

Show Notes:

The Kyle Buchanan piece from The New York Times that P.T. referred to during the episode.

And here are pieces on early reviews of Furiosa: Screen Rant on Hideo Kojima, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety.

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Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow was one of the buzziest titles to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and P.T. and I were very disappointed that it was only available to screen in person. Fortunately, it’s now out and theaters and we were finally able to see what all the fuss was about.

The film follows two teenagers, Maddy and Owen, as they strike up a friendship over a supernatural teenage drama called “The Pink Opaque.” That fictional series strongly evokes shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Goosebumps, ‘Eerie, Indiana,’ Pete and Pete, and even Twin Peaks. To assume that this film is merely a trip down a collective memory lane, however, would be a huge mistake.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T. mostly helps me come to terms with the film’s ambiguities as we work our way through what it all means. There’s a lot to unpack, and we relish that task in typical Long Take Review fashion.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Rotten Tomatoes

Movies News Update We catch up with The Cannes Film Festival. For which films has our hype increased or decreased? 3:55

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of I Saw The TV Glow. 26:20

The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? What genre best represents it? How should viewers set their expectations about the kind of film this is? 31:18

SPOILER MODE What is this film trying to say? To what extent are this film’s themes universal vs. specific to the trans or queer experience? Why does this film take place in the 90s? 49:00

The Rhetorical Situation How does the mode of exchange alter the consumption and interpretation of popular culture? When does popular culture facilitate identity actualization vs. threaten it? How might nostalgia interfere with…everything? 1:14:20

Oscars Watch Does I Saw The TV Glow have any Oscars potential? 1:39:46

Notes:

P.T. references this Letterboxd review by mesh509 during the episode.

When Jen compares the use of musical performances in this film to Twin Peaks, she is primarily thinking of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return (2017).

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This past weekend, George Miller’s long-awaited follow-up to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) unfortunately became the impetus for headlines about a failing film industry. After the rom com stunt spectacular The Fall Guy underperformed at the box office and then whimpered onto home video much earlier than expected, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has emerged as another big disappointment, opening during a holiday weekend to a measly $32 million domestically. As a result, trade journalists have already begun to question whether the next Mad Max film, which George Miller has referred to as The Wasteland, will even get made now.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, chronicling the life of Imperator Furiosa as she is abducted as a child and becomes embroiled in the harsh realities of The Wasteland. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as a younger version of the character Charlize Theron played in Fury Road, and Chris Hemsworth co-stars as a new character, a kooky war lord named Dementus.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, Greg, P.T., and I comprise the full spectrum of reactions to Miller’s latest action epic. We offer theories as to why crowds aren’t rushing movie theaters, share our favorite scenes, discuss what worked and didn’t work for us, and consider how the prequel status of the film influenced its construction and/or our interpretation. Regardless of our feelings on the film, our hearts are full of hope, not hate. Witness us!

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: LA Times

Movies News Update We react to the Cannes Film Festival award winners. 4:10

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. 16:45

The Recommendation Algorithm Who should see this film? Do you need to have seen any other Mad Max films? We also try to manage expectations about how this film might differ from Fury Road. 24:05

SPOILER MODE What accounts for Furiosa’s low box office numbers? What’s our favorite action scene? Favorite non-action scene? What does this film have to say about Furiosa? About storytelling and history? About hope? How does this film re-contextualize the events of Fury Road? 37:40

The Rhetorical Situation How has the prequel factor influenced the composition and interpretation/reception of this film? 1:40:11

Oscars Watch Does Furiosa have any Oscars potential? What happens when it enters the Thunderdome with Dune: Part Two? 2:01:18

Notes:

No one asked for this, but here’s more information on the Palm Dog awards at Cannes.

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At the Long Take Review, we have one eye always on the Oscar race. Usually, that means we are looking forward to the upcoming Academy Awards, talking through the race as it happens. But given our collective history of caring about these silly awards, we thought it would be fun to occasionally step back and train our eye on an earlier year in Oscar history. Regular listeners know we frequently talk about what we would change in the current race if we had the power of an Oscar Fairy; we decided to use that magic wand on the past with this Oscar Fairy Flashback, in which we’ll discuss what we would, in hindsight, like to change about the nominees and winners from a chosen year.

To spice up the discussion, P.T. designed a point spending system. Antonio, P.T., Greg, and I each receive 10 points for this round, and carry over any leftover points from the previous Oscar Fairy Flashback if we participated (sorry, Greg). To swap out a nominee in a below-the-line category (the technical and production crew categories as well as speciality film categories like International, Animated, Documentary), we have to spend 1 point; swapping out a nominee in an above-the-line category (screenplay, acting, or directing) requires 2 points; and swapping out a best picture nominee is 3 points. To change the winner within a given category costs double points: so 2 points to change the winner below-the-line, 4 points for above, and 6 points for best picture.

In this episode’s Oscar Fairy Flashback, we go back to the 87th Academy Awards, held on February 22, 2015 and honoring the films of 2014. Some of the big contenders that year were Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Boyhood, and Selma. Which nominations and wins hold up? Which make us cringe with embarrassment now? What is Antonio’s big play for which he’s been saving up points? And what is Jen’s hottest movie take, maybe ever? Listen to find out!

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Godzilla Minus One is finally back! On June 1st, without much warning, the acclaimed film finally became available to watch at home on Netflix. Obviously we had to scramble to squeeze in a review as soon as we could.

Back in December of 2023, Godzilla Minus One, produced by Toho, the Japanese studio from which the character originated, quietly came out in theaters in U.S., yet blew up in cinephile and pop culture circles very quickly. Passion for the film grew and grew, yet Oscar pundits weren’t sure if it was enough to garner any nominations for the WWII epic. To the delight of many, the film landed in the Visual Effects category, and went on to win, beating out big blockbusters with budgets that were several times larger than its modest $10 million, according to Deadline.

By the time that happened, however, no one could actually see the movie, as Toho had agreed to leave theaters by February 1st in order to make room for the much less praised American franchise film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. We’re delighted that those who missed it the first time around can see it now.

Takashi Yamazaki’s film follows a kamikaze pilot named Kōichi Shikishima as he miraculously survives the end of WWII and struggles to rebuild his life and home alongside the rest of Tokyo. As if that weren’t difficult enough, a mysterious, powerful creature emerges from the ocean to terrorize the city. How will Shikishima defend his new family and friends while also confronting his wartime guilt and trauma?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I discuss how dazzling the answer to that question is. In doing so, we attempt to explain how this film capitalizes on all a monster movie genre can do, contemplate how important it is that we have a Godzilla film and a WWII film told from a Japanese perspective, dissect the social and political themes, and, of course, gush over the visuals.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: The New York Times

The Short Take Our overall impressions of Godzilla Minus One. 4:00

The Recommendation Algorithm Do you have to care about Godzilla to enjoy this movie? What other genres or past films might be a good indicator that someone will like this one? 14:00

SPOILER MODE What does Godzilla represent thematically? Why is the story so rich and impactful? How does the film engage with history? 19:00

The Rhetorical Situation How does Godzilla Minus One engage with and influence the monster movie genre? What can it achieve because of the monster movie genre? To conclude, Greg gets on his soapbox about corporations undermining moviegoing. 40:31

Oscars Watch Godzilla Minus One won an Oscar this year for Visual Effects. Should it have won anything else? 59:00

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Glen Powell’s having a great year. He arguably entered the movie star chat with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick (in which he played Hangman), but this year alone he has had/will have three big releases. Despite middling reviews, Anyone But You, Powell’s rom com with Sydney Sweeney did exceedingly well at the box office this past winter. Looking ahead, Powell will star in a sequel to the 1996 disaster film Twister. (And yes, it’s called Twisters.) The trailers and press for that film indicate that if the film is a hit, it could launch Powell into a new level of stardom.

The third film and subject of our review, Hitman, is one that just dropped on Netflix as it winds down its brief theatrical run. Directed by Oscar-nominated Richard Linklater, the dark romantic comedy premiered last fall at The Venice Film Festival, to very positive reviews that have only grown in number and intensity since. Powell co-stars with Adria Arjona, who most viewers would recognize as Bix in the Star Wars Disney+ series, Andor. She plays Madison, a troubled woman in an abusive relationship looking for a way out. Powell plays Gary, a psychology professor who moonlights as an undercover agent for the New Orleans Police Department.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I discuss the palpable on-screen chemistry between Powell and Arjona, weigh in on how the film represents academics, play a “name that genre” game, and just generally revel in the good time that is Hitman.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Netflix

The Short Take Our overall impressions of Hitman. 3:32

The Recommendation Algorithm To whom do we recommend Hitman? What genres do we see Linklater playing around with? (Spoiler: there are many). 10:19

SPOILER MODE What did we think about the twists and turns in the plot? What do we think is Linklater’s “thesis” and what do we think about that thesis? 19:41

The Rhetorical Situation How does this film represent “our kind” (a.k.a. professors)? What value does the invocation of academic research and concepts add to the story? How is the main character, Gary, an expert in rhetoric and composition? What does this movie have in common with The Good Place? 32:53

Oscars Watch In a quieter year, does Hitman have a sharper shot at the Oscars? 52:46

Notes:

P.T. mentions the acronym NTT. That stands for “non-tenure track,” used to describe a professor whose position does not allow (or expect) them to publish and go up for tenure. We also use the term “adjunct” which refers to a part time faculty member who has been hired to teach courses but is not considered a full time employee/member of a department.

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When Inside Out came out in 2015, critics and fans showered it with praise for its innovative storytelling, as it translated a series of basic human emotions — joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust — into lovable characters who work in an elaborate visualization of the human mind. It was a commercial hit and an award-winning film. It seemed then like Pixar could do no wrong; little did critics know that from that point forward Pixar would steadily decline, losing its apex position in the animation industry.

Much to everyone’s surprise in the face of such a downturn, Inside Out 2 has been a smash, positioned as the savior of the summer box office. What does that tell us about what audiences want? Pandering to our IP nostalgia? More sophisticated animated features for children? Or just a general desperation for any movies for families, regardless of the quality?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I speculate some answers to those questions, as well as why this film, while good, doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original. We discuss how the film tries to level up its representation of emotions, revel in the parts we laughed at most, assess the new characters and voice performances, and share how our own kids responded to the film.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: IndieWire

Movie News Update We react to Sony’s purchase of the Alamo Drafthouse. 4:30

The Short Take Our overall impressions of Inside Out 2. 12:25

The Recommendation Algorithm How does Inside Out 2 handle kids in the audience vs. adults? 23:31

SPOILER MODE What new ideas does this sequel introduce and why doesn’t it quite reach the heights of the original? What made us laugh? Who are our favorite new characters? 30:17

The Rhetorical Situation How does this film impact the Pixar discourse? Is Pixar “back”? And what is the larger cultural impact of the “pop psychology” used in the Inside Out films? 1:03:18

Oscars Watch We check in with the animated feature race and debate whether or not Inside Out 2 will have a spot in the line-up. 1:28:56

Notes:

Jen wants it on record that while she did not like Morbius and has not yet seen Madame Web, she does enjoy the Venom movies.

Greg had trouble getting names exactly right in this episode. He says Jane Squibb when he means June Squibb and says Lord and Mitchell when he means Lord and Miller. Jen can attest that he does actually know these names.

Greg alludes to Jen having visited the Pixar campus, but Jen never had a chance to explain. A friend of hers from high school used to work at Pixar, and so Jen would visit him at work. She actually saw Tropic Thunder in the Pixar theater. Shoutout to Najeeb Tarazi, who is now a prolific (and talented!) independent director.

During Oscars Watch, Greg sends Jen into a panic about how Aardman Studios only has enough clay to make one more movie. He later discovered that they reassured everyone that they will be fine.

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Have you recently found yourself endlessly scrolling through Netflix, not knowing when to press play? Are you looking for a something to watch while you wait for the next big summer blockbusters (and our reviews of them)? Whether you’re impatiently awaiting Greg’s hype draft pick, Twisters, on July 19 or, more realistically (sorry, Greg), Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26, we’ve got recommendations for smaller films from this year that we think are worth seeing. Many are available to watch at home, while others have just arrived in theaters.

For this episode of The Long Take Review, we’ve assembled the entire team — Antonio, Greg, P.T., and Jen — to share our top 3 films of the year to date. The caveat, however, is that we cannot select any films that we ourselves have already reviewed on the show. This forced us to consider smaller films that either suffered from poor marketing, were too unconventional to gain mainstream popularity, or just slipped through the cracks of film discourse. We also bookend our lists with a “temperature check” of the year in movies thus far. At the start, we reflect on our experience as moviegoers in 2024, responding to the frequent handwringing about the state of the box office and film industry at large. We conclude with, of course, an update on the Oscar race — what we think is worthy as well as what has a lot of early buzz.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hot off the success of four-time Oscar winning film Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos is already back with Kinds of Kindness, playing in theaters now. This anthology film, with three distinct stories in one, is very different fare, with a darker, more brutal humor and more obtuse storytelling. Most critics agree that this is a return to the Yorgos of yore, when he previously collaborated with Efthimis Filippou on films such as The Lobster (2015) and The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), as opposed to Tony McNamara, who was the writer for the relatively tamer (emphasis on relatively!) period pieces, The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023).

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, and I search for meaning by dissecting individual stories and zooming out to try to connect common themes across all three. What does Kinds of Kindness have to say about power and control? Where does reality end and fantasy or allegory begin? And will this film be too weird and too abstract for The Academy?

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: NPR

The Short Take Our overall impressions of Kinds of Kindness. (The noise you hear in the background are fireworks going off in P.T.’s neighborhood.) 3:15

The Recommendation Algorithm If you liked Poor Things, will you like Kinds of Kindness? 7:54

SPOILER MODE How would we rank the three stories? What are the themes that cut across all three stories? Who is RMF and what is their purpose? 14:13

The Rhetorical Situation What do we call these stories? Allegories? Parables? Myths? And what role do dreams or visions play? 1:02:06

Oscars Watch Will Yorgos ride the Poor Things wave into this year or will Kinds of Kindness be too extreme for The Academy? 1:34:29

Notes:

P.T. referenced a couple of articles this week:

Variety article. What Yorgos Lanthimos has to say about RMF.

Films Fatale review. A potential explanation that unlocks the entire film!

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In this episode’s Oscar Fairy Flashback, we go back to the 88th Academy Awards, held on February 28, 2016 and honoring the films of 2015. Some of the big contenders that year included Mad Max: Fury Road, Spotlight, The Revenant, The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Steve Jobs, and The Martian. Which snubs will we correct? Which films will divide or unite us? How many more Oscars will we try to give to Mad Max: Fury Road? And why was Jen the only one who saw The Revenant when it came out in 2015? Listen to find out!

What is an Oscar Fairy Flashback? At the Long Take Review, we have one eye always on the Oscar race. Usually, that means we are looking forward to the upcoming Academy Awards, talking through the race as it happens. But given our collective history of caring about these silly awards, we occasionally step back and train our eye on an earlier year in Oscar history. Regular listeners know we frequently talk about what we would change in the current race if we had the power of an Oscar Fairy; we decided to use that magic wand on the past with this Oscar Fairy Flashback, in which we’ll discuss what we would, in hindsight, like to change about the nominees and winners from a chosen year.

To spice up the discussion, P.T. designed a point spending system. Each co-host will receive 10 points for this round, and carry over any leftover points from the previous Oscar Fairy Flashback if we participated. To swap out a nominee in a below-the-line category (the technical and production crew categories as well as speciality film categories like International, Animated, Documentary), we have to spend 1 point; swapping out a nominee in an above-the-line category (screenplay, acting, or directing) requires 2 points; and swapping out a best picture nominee is 3 points. To change the winner within a given category costs double points: so 2 points to change the winner below-the-line, 4 points for above, and 6 points for best picture.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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We are less than five days away from Deadpool & Wolverine! Though, based on how much marketing has been coming at us, if you didn’t know that already, you may be living under a rock. As we so often say with the MCU these days, a lot is riding on this movie. The expectations for the box office, despite it being a Rated R film, have gone sky high. With Marvel/Disney scaling back and slowing down its offerings on the big and small screen, critics are left wondering if this film will impact the recent trajectory of the MCU or stand alone as an anomaly.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg and I take a look at the cinematic histories of both Deadpool and Wolverine as a way to get hyped for Jen’s hype draft pick. We give shoutouts to our favorites, shake our heads at some misses, dissect both the characters and the actors who play them, and speculate about what we might see in the upcoming film.

While there are light spoilers for any movie in which Deadpool or Wolverine has appeared, we discuss major plot points for X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). The very end of the episode also contains a discussion of Internet rumors about Deadpool & Wolverine.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

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Look. We know that Deadpool & Wolverine is about to take over theaters and probably dominate the summer box office narrative. We, too, are excited to see the merc with a mouth team up with everyone’s favorite clawed hero. But, what we fear may get lost in the MCU shuffle is another fun summer blockbuster already out in theaters: Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters.

This sequel to the 90s hit that put disaster movies on the map stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, and a slew of other up and coming actors who all give charismatic performances. The story follows Kate (Edgar-Jones), a former tornado chaser and meteorologist who reluctantly returns to her home state of Oklahoma and finds herself going head-to-head with Tyler the “tornado wrangler” (Powell), a showboating YouTuber who thrives on danger.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I share what we thought was fun about Twisters, while acknowledging what doesn’t work and doesn’t make sense. We dissect the film’s themes, identify places where we see Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung’s influence coming through, and debate whether or not this should actually count as a sequel to Twister. Why did Jen regret not wearing a sweatshirt to her screening? Why does P.T. feel the need to get on a soapbox? What’s Greg’s genius movie pitch to Universal Studios? Tune in to find out. And stay until after the outro for not one but two humorous clips Jen had to edit out of the main show.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: People

Movie News Update: We check in on the summer box office. 2:56

The Short Take Our overall impressions of Twisters. 18:04

The Recommendation Algorithm Do you need to have seen Twister (1996) before Twisters? Do you hate fun if you don’t like this movie? 29:05

SPOILER MODE What surprised us? What let us down? How does this film intersect with its predecessor? To what extent does Twisters engage with political/social commentary? 38:14

The Rhetorical Situation Does Twisters actually count as a sequel? How do we define a sequel? 1:18:35

Oscars Watch Can Twisters get sucked up by the Oscar vortex, or will it dissipate into the atmosphere? 1:41:24

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LFG!!! Deadpool & Wolverine has slashed its way through multiple box office records. Its opening weekend has made more money than any other R-rated movie, and it’s currently in sixth place for the highest-grossing weekend of all time. Will it have the summer movie legs to join last summer’s winner, Barbie, in the billion dollar club? And what does this success signify? Does it portend anything for the future of the MCU? Or is it more a testament to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s collective star power?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Colby Mead of The Colbycast joins us to debate these questions, as well as respond to complaints from the critics who aren’t exactly screaming LFG. We consider who this movie is for, what it’s about, and how much prior knowledge is actually required to appreciate the jokes and story. We share all our favorite moments. We may have even stumble upon a working thesis. This recording was longer than the movie itself, but you’ll want to stick around to hear Colby’s brilliant thoughts about Marvel hero history, P.T.’s explanation of how the multiverse works in this film, and Jen’s pitch for an Alpha Flight movie (well, maybe that last one’s not worth sticking around for).

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: LA Times

Movie News Update: We react to big MCU news coming out of San Diego Comic Con and Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office boom. 4:03

The Short Take: Our spoiler-free review of Deadpool & Wolverine. 30:54

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should go see Deadpool & Wolverine? What do you need to have seen (and how old do you need to be) to deeply appreciate the humor in this film? 35:44

SPOILER MODE: Does this movie have a story? What’s the thesis of this movie? Then we share our favorite cameos, jokes, fight scenes, etc. 50:28

Our favs/superlatives. 1:41:00

The Rhetorical Situation: How do feel like this film engages with the history of these characters and the history of comic book movies? 2:10:27

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As summer blockbuster season winds down and awards season just starts to warm up with a flurry of fall film festivals, P.T., Greg, and I thought it would be a great time to nerd out about Star Wars. First, we react to some recent news coming out of the D23 Expo (including a movie! finally!), and then we review the entire season of The Acolyte that concluded on Disney+ a few weeks ago. That naturally brings us to a ranking exercise. We debate, negotiate, and conciliate to put all the Disney+ Star Wars series in order from best to worst. How will our takes and favs line up with yours? What fan edits would P.T. make to The Acolyte? And how many times can Greg crack jokes about Jude Law’s filmography? Search your feelings, connect to The Force, and join us for a fun conversation.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: StarWars.com

[SPOILER ALERT: Unlike our regular reviews, this will have spoilers for all of Star Wars from the very beginning.]

Movie News Update: We react to Star Wars news coming out of D23. When is the next time we’ll see Star Wars on a screen, both big and small? 3:58

The Short Take: What were our impressions of The Acolyte, now that we’ve had a few weeks to sit with it? This also kind of free flows to a capacious discussion of The Acolyte in general. 44:30

Our Disney+ Star Wars Rankings We try to come to a consensus on how we should rank all 8 series. 1:52:48

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When I think of the genre of prison drama, what do I think of? As a child of the 90s, Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999) come to mind first; the former in particular defined the genre forever thereafter. I think of the struggle to survive, full of violence and terror. I think of the bleakness of never getting out and the desperate scheming to escape or undermine the system. I think of crime and corruption perpetuated within the carceral system itself.

Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing, in theaters now, defies all of these expectations. While it does not shy away from the oppressive confinement of prison life, it offers a story of the hope and joy experienced by inmates participating in the RTA or Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program, which began in 1996 at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. It’s a moving love letter to the dramatic arts, and is never exploitative or voyeuristic.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I identify ways in which Sing Sing subverts prison movie stereotypes, reflect on how the film represents incarceration, and try to understand how this film achieves its authenticity and avoids saccharine storytelling. Could it be an early frontrunner in the Oscar race? Is Coleman Domingo a shoe-in for Best Actor, hot off his nomination last year? And what additional insight can Antonio’s legal background offer our interpretation of the film? Join our conversation to find out.

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Image Credit: A24

Movie News Update: What’s going on with Joaquin and Todd? (But not the Todd you think.) 3:50

The Short Take: Our spoiler-free review Sing Sing. 12:57

The Recommendation Algorithm: Why might folks who wouldn’t normally go for a movie about prison want to watch this? How does it align with or subvert the prison movie genre? 18:23

SPOILER MODE: How does this film represent incarceration and the criminal justice system? What is it trying to say about the prison system? Featuring Lessons in the Law with Antonio! 24:28

The Rhetorical Situation: How does this film represent theater and the arts? What does this film have in common with our teaching? 51:45

Oscars Watch: This movie seems poised to make an Oscar play. How far can it go? 1:01:11

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Director Sean Wang has arrived. His documentary short film, “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó,” landed an Oscar nomination and, a few months later, his first narrative feature film, Didi, won the Audience Award for the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

While “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó” has been available to watch on Disney+ for some time, Didi just released in theaters at the end of July. It offers a window into the life of Chris, a Taiwanese-American teenager, the summer before he starts high school. He must traverse friends, family, girls, parties, and online life in 2008. 

No matter how much critical praise Didi, collects, it may get drowned out amidst all of the flashier Oscar contenders on the verge of premiering in the coming weeks. Can Sean Wang strike Oscar nom gold again? Or is an indie coming of age film too small to last all the way through the season?

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I try to read the tea leaves and speculate as to Didi’s future. We each share what aspects of the film resonated with us personally, celebrate its funniest moments, and reflect on the halcyon days of AOL Instant Messenger. 

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The Alien franchise, suffice it to say, has legs. Xenomorphs and facehuggers are among the most iconic sci-fi creatures in movie history. And multiple directors, including legends Ridley Scott and James Cameron, have made nine Alien films in 45 years. And it would seem that the latest installment, Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, shows that interest in watching people fight gooey space parasites has not waned. The worldwide box office currently sits at $289.5 million, and it had the second highest opening weekend of any Alien movie to date.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I compare Alien: Romulus to many other Alien movies (and we’ve all seen different ones!), and in doing so contemplate the contribution the film makes to the franchise overall. P.T. gives not one but two mind-melding monologues: one about the behind-the-scenes story of the original Alien’s development and another about the academic discourse surrounding the franchise’s subversion of gendered horror stereotypes. We talk artificial intelligence, corporate capitalism, horror vs. thriller, and whether or not it’s possible to be an auteur in a franchise sandbox. The bell has rung and class is in session on this one.

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Box office, box office, box office! Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to his 1988 hit has conjured a successful opening weekend at $111 million domestic. This may indicate that audiences show no sign of fatigue for nostalgia-laden sequels (which is good news for Gladiator 2, perhaps?). But how does Beetlejuice Beetlejuice fare as a 36 years later follow-up to one of Burton’s best? Does it contain clunky fan service moments like Alien: Romulus? Or is it more of a fun, don’t-think-about-it-too-hard hang like Deadpool & Wolverine? How well does the Beetlejuice ethos jive with 2024 sensibilities?

These are the questions we try to answer on this week’s episode of The Long Take Review. Greg, P.T., and I share what parts of the film entertained us most, as well as try to devise a thesis for the film. Later in the episode, we fancy ourselves armchair screenwriters, offering up some suggestions for restructuring and recentering the story. Along the way, P.T. breaks multiple pieces of bad news to Greg while Greg regales us with his movie set looky-loo-ing. Take a number and have a seat because we might be a while…

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For movie nerds and, more fervently, awards season nerds like me, fall is a wonderful time of year because it is nothing but possibility and potential. Like Schrodinger’s cat, movies are both good and bad until you actually see them for yourself. As I impatiently wait to do that, though, there are some indicators: reactions from critics and journalists attending film festivals, awards given by festivals, and whether films without a home score a deal with a big distributor.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I process and analyze all these indicators coming out of three festivals that have recently concluded: Venice (yes, the one in Italy), Telluride (that’s in Colorado), and Toronto (a.k.a. TIFF). We present our conclusions by listing a set of “winners” and “losers,” though we introduced the idea of “soft” and “hard” losers and it got complicated from there. Listen to find out which movies we’re more excited to see, which we can almost certainly dismiss, and who, if anyone, has emerged as a frontrunner in this early, but very real, phase of the Oscar race.

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When legendary artists have really made it, they should be able to do anything, right? Their creativity unfettered and untethered from pleasing others or financial concerns. By this margin, Francis Ford Coppola is living the dream. He became an icon for classics such as The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979). And for forty years he has been working on his magnum opus called Megalopolis. He funded the entire film — $120 million — by taking a line of credit out on his own winery No one could put a damper on his creative vision.

And the result, suffice it to say, is unlike anything any of us have ever seen. But is that a good thing? Is this film going to change cinema forever because it’s so experimental? Or is this more of an emperor’s new clothes situation? On this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, Greg, P.T., and I share our fairly unanimous response to the film, and then go on to try to make sense of its themes, socio-political commentary, and stylistic choices. You’ll have to hear us talk about it to believe it!

We go into SPOILER MODE pretty quickly on this one, around the 14:51 minute mark.

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What if The Scarlet Witch from the MCU, Nora Durst from The Leftovers, and Charlie Cale from Poker Face were trapped in a tiny New York City apartment for several days? I jest, in part; Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, and Natasha Lyonne play characters who are distinct from their more well-known roles, but they do get to flex their acting muscles in His Three Daughters, a dramatic chamber piece now streaming on Netflix.

The film’s story follows three semi-estranged women who reunite to guide their father through his final days of life. The astringent dialogue offers a thoughtful character study as the claustrophobic milieu facilitates a poignant meditation on death and dying. But could this film be too small and too insular to get any Oscar love?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, and I laud all three of these actresses for their outstanding work and, at the end of the episode, contemplate the film’s Oscar prospects. When dissecting the film itself, we contemplate why it feels so much like a stage play, debate why that might enhance or detract from the film, consider what the film has to say about death, dying, and family, and, because we couldn’t help ourselves, we share which of the three daughters we would each be.

You can hear our official plug for this at the very end of the episode, but we’d love for listeners to join us in Vulture’s Movie Fantasy League, in which players must draft 8 movies that have been pre-priced based on buzz. After registration closes tomorrow night, Thursday October 3rd at 11:59, your team can gain points for box office success (if it hasn’t come out yet), critical reception, and awards recognition. You can play this game with us by entering “The Long Take Review” as your “mini-league.” Join us in movie nerdom and all the Oscar season insanity!

We go into SPOILER MODE around the 21:57 minute mark. If you’re not yet sure whether you want to check out the film, listen up until then.

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At a time when so much of public discourse surrounding A.I. swirls in fear and doom, it is rare to find a movie about a robot that does not tap into that sentiment. From Minority Report (2002) to Ex Machina (2014), Hollywood often adopts the position of a canary in the coal mine, trying to warn everyone about our robot overlords. And considering corporate interest in using artificial intelligence to replace human creators, I don’t necessarily blame them for wanting to do that, especially now.

Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot, however, defies that popular narrative, with a fresh take has been welcomed by critics. Many go so far as to suggest that the film deserves to be nominated not only for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, but for Best Picture, joining the ranks of the few animated films that have made that jump: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010). But how justified is that hype?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I debate how well the film could do (and deserves to do). We also discuss what parts of the film had an emotional impact on us, what the film is trying to say about A.I., how this adaptation differs from its source material, what voice performances stand out, and more.

Before we dive into The Wild Robot, however, we check in to discuss our picks for Vulture’s Movie Fantasy League, in which players must draft 8 movies that were pre-priced based on buzz. Who made a big play for box office numbers? Who went for potential awards attention? Who just went with their heart? Listen to about the first 30 minutes of this episode to find out! Registration for the draft has closed, but if you already registered, you can still join us by emailing moviesleague@vulture.com to say that you’d like “The Long Take Review” to be your “mini-league” before October 14th. We are just one person short of being able to compete for prizes, so please help us out if you can! Plus, our highest-scoring mini-league member will be able to come on the show and discuss a film of their choice.

The Movie Fantasy League talk ends at 30:46 when we start the Short Take on The Wild Robot. We later go into SPOILER MODE at the 42:24 minute mark. If you’re still not yet sure whether you want to check out the film, pause there!

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Next year, 2025, will mark the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live (SNL), and NBC is planning a big live special in February to celebrate. In the meantime, though, Director Jason Reitman, whose own father, Ivan, had a close connection to the sketch comedy series, has made Saturday Night, out in theaters now. The film careens in “real” time towards the moment the first episode of SNL aired in 1975, and stars Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) as Lorne Michaels, along with a vast ensemble of exciting young actors playing the original SNL cast and well-loved veterans like J.K. Simmons and Willem Dafoe in supporting roles.

After premiering at the Telluride Film Festival to mixed-positive reviews, Saturday Night has been doing okay but not exceptionally well at the box office. Will that hurt its Oscar chances? Will the film meet the same fate as many seasons of SNL, with everyone too busy debating whether or not it’s good that they forget to appreciate the thing itself?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I dissect our own reactions and value judgments of the “put on a show” psuedo-biopic comedy. We shoutout our favorite performances, share our own personal histories with SNL, and contemplate the film’s use of time and space. After our usual Oscars Watch, we do our own SNL cast member draft! After you listen to the episode, vote in the poll below for who you think won.

We (hastily) go into SPOILER MODE at the 23:19 minute mark. If you’re still not yet sure whether you want to check out the film, pause there! Our SNL Cast Draft, which should also be spoiler free, starts at 1:09:06.

Image Credit: IndieWire

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We did a thing! P.T., Antonio, and I were fortunate enough to attend three screenings as a part of the Newport Beach Film Festival: Steve McQueen’s Blitz, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, and Malcolm Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. Meanwhile, Antonio and P.T. got to see an early screening of Edward Berger’s Conclave, hosted by USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in collaboration with Outside the Box [Office] and Focus Features. Great times were had by all; seeing so many films before they come out in theaters made us feel like real film critics for once.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, we reflect on our experience at these screenings and then give our spoiler-free thoughts, ranking the four films against each other. We round out the episode by checking in on awards season in general, speculating about which films are the most likely to be in the Best Picture 10 and which actors could have a shot at a nomination. Who needs to campaign hard to get voters’ attention? Who’s a shoe-in? Who’s a complete unknown (besides James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic)? Listen to find out!

This ENTIRE episode is spoiler free, so have at it regardless of whether or not you’ve seen the films mentioned above.

Notes:

We make a lot of references to the promotional materials used during The Newport Beach Film Festival, so checking out these trailers/ads first might help you appreciate our discussion even more. Thank you again to the Newport Beach Film Festival for showing us such a great time! (An especially big thank you to all the volunteers who helped run the screenings.)

Newport Beach Film Festival trailer

An ad for visiting Newport Beach (which everyone should do!) that played before each screening.

This star-studded highlight reel for the Newport Beach Film Festival will give you a sense of the party scene that the three of us largely missed.

Image Credit: Variety, Indiewire, and LA Times

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Yes, this is the movie with the carousel horse.

After enjoying/enduring viral Internet fame long before its release, John Crowley’s We Live in Time is now in theaters and we can finally see the derpy carousel horse in context. Meme lovers may be disappointed, though, as the non-linear love story is unambiguously sincere in its meditation on life, death, and love. Luckily, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are here with an onscreen chemistry that overshadows any meme humor. Garfield plays Tobias, a cereal company employee who just ended a long-term relationship and Pugh plays Almut, a competitive chef who just opened her own restaurant. This is an A24 film and therefore will likely be available to stream on Max over the holidays or by early January.

During this episode of The Long Take Review, we debate whether or not the film’s non-linear structure works, share which parts of the film were the most emotionally impactful for each of us, and casually philosophize about time. Two of us loved the movie and two of us were less keen on it. Can you guess who was on which side?

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 21:38 minute mark. Listen up until then to decide whether or not you want to go see We Live in Time!

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With an especially close Presidential Election only three days away, it’s nearly impossible to watch Edward Berger’s papal thriller Concalve without drawing a parallel to the American political process. The pope has died, and a conclave has assembled to elect another. But with so many scandals and secrets, can they find a suitable candidate? Which candidates will cling to their ideals? How many must inevitably compromise theirs? And will ambition or a pursuit of the truth win the day?

Oscar pundits all wonder the extent to which the winner this Tuesday will have a direct impact on the sumptuous and shocking film’s awards prospects. Berger’s adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front won four Oscars, but it arguably did not have as much (if any) potential for controversy or backlash. On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Antonio, Greg, and I debate what kind of political discourse that this film may generate as well as how that discourse may, at least in part, determine how many Oscar nominations it can get. We also delight in the film’s thriller elements, and celebrate the numerous strong performances.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 27:46 minute mark. If you are on the fence about whether or not you want to go see Conclave, you can listen safely until then.

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The Palm d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, is a big deal. And it has become an even bigger Oscar bellwether in recent years, as the Academy has expanded, diversified, and, as a result, become more international. The winners have certainly been international, as American films have won only 13 times during the award’s 80+ year history. In fact, an American film has not won since 2011 when Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life took the prize (and, later, three Oscar nominations). That all changed this year when Sean Baker’s romantic dramedy (maybe rom-com-dram?), Anora, earned the distinction and immediately zoomed to the front of the Oscar race.

Anora or Annie is an erotic dancer living in Brighton Beach who becomes involved with Vanya, the playboy son of an obscenely wealthy Russian oligarch. Once his parents find out about their relationship, however, they threaten to fracture Anora’s fairytale romance. The film is playin in theaters now, and will eventually become available to stream on Hulu.

On this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., Antonio, and I debate how far this film can really go at the Oscars, what this film has to say about sex work, money, class, and power, and share our reactions to the film’s unexpected ending. Also, if you were ever wondering what some of us sound like with a thick New York accent…

As a bonus, you’ll also find in this episode a shorter conversation I had with Greg about his experience seeing RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist before the rest of us. That conversation is spoiler free and takes place towards the beginning of the episode, before our Anora review. If you’d like more details to help you hop around the episode, see the time stamps below.

* Greg gives his spoiler-free reactions to Nickel Boys and The Brutalist. 3:58

* The Short Take and The Recommendation Algorithm for Anora (spoiler free) 37:16

* SPOILER MODE for Anora 50:12

* Oscar Watch for Anora 1:21:16

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How far would you be willing to go to look younger and more beautiful? That is the question that Carolie Fargeat’s The Substance horrifically asks and answers. In what some are calling a career best performance, Demi Moore plays an iconiclfilm and television actress who discovers an alluring new drug called The Substance just as the men in control of her career want to show her the door. It seems many viewers are interested to see what happens next, as the film marks MUBI’s most successful release to date, and has already collected several awards nominations and, in some cases, wins such as Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival.

On this episode of The Long Take Review, we discuss how this high concept film might appeal to a larger audience outside of horror fans, how the genre of body horror might be the perfect way to engage with the film’s themes, and whether or not a film like this can break through the Oscars’ historical bias against horror.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 21:28 minute mark. If you are still on the fence about whether or not you can stomach The Substance, you can listen safely until then.

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Steve McQueen’s filmography has had an eclectic filmography: Hunger (2008) is about the 1981 Irish hunger strike, Shame (2011) is about sex addiction, Widows (2018) is a heist thriller, and Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave (2013) adapts the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northrup, a free-born Black man kidnapped and sold into slavery. McQueen’s newest film, Blitz, focuses on a mother and son separated during the bombing of London during WWII, and while this is a return to the historical drama genre for McQueen, Blitz has not been unilaterally embraced by critics as 12 Years a Slave was. Despite the more muted reception, could McQueen still enter the Oscar race? On this episode of The Long Take Review, we try to answer this question through our own mixed and varied reactions to the film. Come for the debate about the film’s quality and stay for Greg’s hot takes on mushy peas.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 22:58 minute mark. If you are still undecided about whether or not you want to give Blitz a go, you can listen safely until then.

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Based on popular discourse, critics often dub one movie a year the “Oscar villain.” That’s usually a film that is a major contender in the race that also has a lot of haters or people who deem it unworthy of all the potential accolades. Jacques Audiard’s crime thriller musical, Emilia Pérez, could very well be this year’s Oscar villain; one only need look to the strong reactions that have flooded the Internet since the film became wildly available for subscribers to watch at home on Netflix. Many critics and viewers have identified potential problems with the representation of certain groups (to specify might be a spoiler). At the same time, the film stars four strong female actors who have been charming the press on the campaign trail; it doesn’t hurt that two of them, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, are beloved pop culture powerhouses.

This episode of The Long Take Review can serve as a microcosm of this polarized discourse, as some of us loved it and some of us (very respectfully) hated it. We debate whether or not the songs facilitate the storytelling, whether or not the film’s themes and plot make sense in the end, and try to determine a floor and ceiling for the film’s nominations and wins.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 27:47 minute mark. If you are still undecided about whether or not you want to fire up Netflix for Emilia Pérez, you can listen safely until then.

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Most will recognize Jesse Eisenberg as an actor, if not for his iconic portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network (2010), then for his turn as Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder’s DC films. Fewer will know him as a director, and yet his second film, A Real Pain, is currently in the Oscars conversation. The film follows two cousins, Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg), who sign up for a Holocaust tour of Poland, in an attempt to honor the memory of their immigrant grandmother. Their personalities clash as they confront both the pain of their past and the collective pain of their tour group.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., Antonio, and I try to explain why this film works as both a character study and a vehicle for bigger ideas. Greg then launches our discussion into the stratosphere by applying Nietzsche’s notion of The Rational Man to Eisenberg’s philosophical meditation on pain. We close out, as usual, with a debate about how far A Real Pain can go at the Oscars.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 18:01 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to book a tour with A Real Pain, you can listen safely until then.

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Right now, it seems as though Wicked’s potential is unlimited. It’s on the verge of hitting $500 million in worldwide box office, with no signs of slowing down over the holidays. It’s garnered a slew of award nominations, including four Golden Globes, as well as wins, including Best Film by the National Board of Review. The question on every pundit’s mind now is: does Jon M. Chu’s fantasy musical spectacular have what it takes to win at the Oscars?

On this episode of The Long Take Review, we too debate this very question. We share what we thought about the film in the context of our prior relationship with the source material, try to trace its literary and musical lineage, discuss the revisionist prequel of it all, and, of course, comment on the who, what, when, where, and why of the film’s massive popularity. Who’s a Glinda? Who’s an Elphaba? And how many of us will sing during the episode? Listen to find out!

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 30:21 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to fly with Wicked, you can listen safely until then.

Image Credit: New York Times

Show Notes:

Jen referenced this iconic dance sequence by Fred Astaire in Dancing Through Life set inspired by Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951). She then later found this IndieWire piece that confirmed that Dancing Through Life is in fact inspired by that number.

One of many videos showing the reaction when Michelle Yeoh brought the Oscar she had just won back to the set of Wicked.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and here at The Long Take Review, we mean awards season when we make that declaration. We took this entire episode to check in on the Oscar race in the wake of the first big slew of precursor awards and nominations. From New York to LA, regional critics groups have been chiming in with their picks in the hope that they can have some sway or create the right conditions for a film or actor’s campaign to gain momentum. Bigger groups like The American Film Institute (AFI) and the National Board of Review (NBR) put out their top ten lists, which have some but not 100% crossover with the Best Picture lineup at the Oscars. And, most recently, the Golden Globes announced their nominations the day we recorded, this past Monday December 9th. Who’s feeling good after all that, and whose campaigns might be ending? What surprised and delighted us? We talk about all that and more on this special movies news episode.

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We’re far enough away from “Glicked” weekend that we can declare a box office victor, and it wasn’t Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited follow-up to Best Picture-winning Gladiator (2000). Despite that, will the sword and sandals epic still get a thumbs up from the Academy? On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I deliberate this question (and celebrate Denzel Washington) after unpacking our diverse reactions to the film. Who had the best time? Who knows about the previous pitches that never got green-lit? And who is the biggest (OG) Gladiator super fan? Lend us your ears to find out.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 22:50 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to enter the Colosseum for a second time, you can listen safely until then.

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Happy Holidays from the crew at The Long Take Review! In the spirit of the season, we spent this week’s episode celerating our holiday favorites. We each share two classics and (at least) one movie from any genre to watch over the holidays with your loved ones. Do television specials count as movies? Which actor played Scrooge the best? Which one of us will make the most hipster picks? Join us to find out.

And if you have films that you love to watch during this time of you, please share in the comments!

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After years of scandal, attempts to change, and a host who bombed last year, it seems like the Golden Globes has finally found its footing. Comedian Nikki Glaser, best known for her roast of Tom Brady, has received ubiquitous praise for her appropriately pitched jokes. And after expanding and diversifying their voting body last year, critics seems to be much less judgmental about the Golden Globes Foundation’s nominations.

And yet, pundits were uncertain going into last night’s ceremony. Would a frontrunner finally emerge? Would the Globes fall back onto their celebrity-pandering ways? Will they serve as more of an Oscar bellwether than ever before? Recording minutes after the broadcast ended, Antonio, P.T., and I try our best to answer these questions as we wade through the often surprising winners and glaring misses.

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Before we describe this episode of The Long Take Review, we would like to acknowledge and express our support for the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. Here are some ways to help:

The Entertainment Community Fund provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals, including those impacted by the wildfires.

This GoFundMe supports a colleague of ours displaced by the Eaton Canyon fire in Altadena.

The Red Cross works with local partners to provide shelter, food, emotional support and health services for victims.

According to another colleague who regularly fosters dogs, the Pasadena Humane Center and the Agoura Animal Care Center are overburdened with animals affected by the fires.

This LA Times article lists many more organizations that are providing aid.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, we host, for the second time, our own awards ceremony, The LTRs or “Letters.” While we don’t have any delusions about our influence in the awards race, we tried to think of performances, screenplays, filmmakers, and films that we want to spotlight before Oscar voting closes on January 17th. (Those who campaign during awards season call this an FYC or “For Your Consideration” event.) We begin with our individual lists of nominees, form a shared list of nominees through consensus picks (nominees that appeared on more than one of our lists) and non-consensus shout-outs (nominees that appeared on only one list but we decide should be nominated anyway). After we have a set of shared nominees, we engage in a spirited yet collaborative debate to decide on a winner and honorable mention, live during the show.

Get ready to take some notes and make some Letterboxd watchlists! In a later post on The Long Take Substack, Jen will share each of our full lists of nominees for reference.

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Director Brady Corbet gave not one but two acceptance speeches at The Golden Globes, as he won for Best Director and his film, The Brutalist, won Best Motion Picture Drama. Star Adrien Brody also won Best Actor Motion Picture Drama. There were two predominant themes amongst those three speeches: that immigrant stories matter, and that film studios should take more chances on filmmakers’ artistic visions (especially when their ideas don’t seem as commercially viable). Those who have seen the two-part period drama know that these themes also manifest in the epic story of fictional architect, László Tóth.

In a year with no clear Best Picture frontrunner, however, it remains to be seen how much The Brutalist’s success will repeat at the Oscars. Antonio, Greg, P.T., and I do debate how well the film famously shot in VistaVision on an astoundingly small $10 million budget will fare on Hollywood’s biggest night. But before we do, we carefully unpack all of the film’s complicated themes and narrative choices.

Oscar Nom Wishes 3:25-25:24

Spoiler Free Takes: 25:25-44:04

SPOILER MODE: 44:05-1:45:52

Oscar Watch: 1:45:53 - the end

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Everyone over at The Long Take Review got up bright and early Thursday morning to watch the live announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations. We share our thoughts on the broadcast, as well as the nominees. How many did Jen correctly predict? How many has Greg already seen? What is P.T.’s mastermind theory about which films have a path to winning Best Picture? And why did we spend so much time talking about monkeys? Listen to find out!

Image Credit: New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, Mubi, and Slate

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Find someone who looks at you the way everyone in A Complete Unknown looks at Timothee Chalamet playing Bob Dylan.

For James Mangold’s film, covering Dylan’s four-year journey from first arriving in New York City through “going electric” in 1965, one debate amongst critics centers on the representation of Bob Dylan’s genius: does the film fall into the stereotypical biopic trap of putting its subject on a pedestal, unabashedly touting his generational talent and nothing more? Or does Mangold offer a more nuanced, complicated story, subverting the tropes that he arguably codified in Walk The Line (2005), his film about country music star Johnny Cash?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, we start with this question, discussing how the film does and does not adhere to its genre conventions. The conversation, however, sprawls many other topics, including the infighting between Dylan and more traditional folk artists, the historical accuracy of events portrayed in the film, what the film might be saying about Dylan’s artistry and legacy, how many Oscars it could win, and more.

We go into SPOILER MODE at the 21:04 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to go on tour with us, you can listen safely until then.

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Is it too early to talk about next year’s Oscars when this year’s hasn’t even happened yet? The Sundance Film Festival says no. In fact, a handful of films that premiere there go on to compete in the awards race the following year. And unlike most other film festivals, Sundance offers online screenings for us civilians, which means we can actually review some films! P.T., Antonio, and I share our thoughts on the films that we saw, and then we break down reactions to the titles we weren’t able to see, notable acquisitions, and all the early Oscar buzz. Which film was so sad it made Jen angry? Which film’s weirdness delighted P.T. to no end? And which film tricked Antonio into thinking it would be a thriller? Listen to find out.

This entire episode is SPOILER FREE. Enjoy!

Image Credit: (clockwise from top left) Sundance, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline

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It’s hard to believe, but The Long Take Review podcast has made it to 100 episodes! To commemorate this milestone, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I take a break from our Oscar season coverage to ask each other some probing questions, both about the films we have covered during the first 100 episodes and more generally about our filmgoing lives. What has been our most memorable theatrical experience? What unpopular film would we defend? What film have we covered that we most associate with the other co-hosts? And if we were casting the pod, who would be in the ensemble? Find out our answers to these and so much more. This was very fun to record and confirmed for us how joyful and meaningful it has been making this show every week.

Image Credit: LA Times, New York Times

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