Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Top 12 Movies of 2025
37 Plays5 days ago
Join Doug, Nick, and Tony as they go over their 10, scratch that, 12 favorite movies of the year! There's about 25 minutes of preamble before getting into the nitty gritty of it all. Enjoy the episode and get ready for 2026!
Nick's Top 12:
1. No Other Choice
2. Bugonia
3. I'm Still Here
4. Presence
5. The Ballad of Wallis Island
6. Cloud
7. Bring Her Back
8. Avatar: Fire and Ash
9. Materialists
10. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
11. One Battle After Another
12. Lurker
Doug's Top 12:
1. It Was Just An Accident
2. 28 Years Later
3. Sinners
4. One Battle After Another
5. The Secret Agent
6. Eddington
7. Cloud
8. The Phoenician Scheme
9. The Mastermind
10. Marty Supreme
11. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
12. Splitsville
Rolo Tony's Top 12:
1. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
2. Cloud
3. Marty Supreme
4. No Other Choice
5. One Battle After Another
6. Weapons
7. The Mastermind
8. 28 Years Later
9. Kiss of the Spider Woman
10. The Perfect Neighbor
11. Sister Midnight
12. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction & Episode Theme
00:00:20
Speaker
I'm Doug Davenport. I'm Nick Ewers. And I'm Rollo Tony. And we're These Guys Got Juice. And these are our top 10 movies 2025. is what you want. This is This is what you want. This is what you get.
00:00:31
Speaker
This is what you want. This is what you get. This is what you want. This is what you get. This is what you want. This is what you get.
00:00:42
Speaker
That's me addressing the listeners like they've been demanding this episode. Yeah, this is everybody's favorite time of year where you get a bunch of top 10 episodes, but this is going to be the best top 10 episode of all time. Yeah. Anyone else doing a top 10 right now? Boring. Their lists are boring. Predictable.
00:01:03
Speaker
We can promise you one thing. Chaos. Chaos reigns here. You know, some critics, they'll go 15, right? I've seen some critics go 11, right? It's ridiculous out there. There's no laws. with There are laws here is what I'm
Expanding the Top Movies List
00:01:19
Speaker
trying to say. We've got juice and we've got, like, structure. And that's what we're here to deliver to this audience. Yeah.
00:01:25
Speaker
Yes. Should we at the last second expand it to a specific number like 12? Should it be our top 12 episodes? Like zooms out, yeah. Yeah.
00:01:36
Speaker
I mean, I'm down to make it slightly longer. I'll talk about 12 movies. Let's do it. Let's go. ah let Let's, this is here. So here's the thing. We care about structure, but we also care about keeping ourselves on our toes. So this is the kind of, uh, you know, uh, on the fly thinking that you come to expect from a classic. These guys got juice episode. So what do you think, Doug? Are we doing 12? I've,
00:01:59
Speaker
kind of want to do 12. Yeah, now that I'm looking at my list where I'm like, ah there's the two that didn't
Memorable Movie Experiences
00:02:05
Speaker
make the 10. I'm like, it hurt me to demote them. So I was like, I need to talk about these.
00:02:11
Speaker
Yeah, I'll feel like a better person getting to talk about my 11. And the 12, I just, this is movie I feel like not a lot of people have seen. ah But yeah, top 12 episodes of 2025. Hell yeah. ah can Can we upload, like when we title it on the thing we like slash out but yeah it's like 10 crossed out 12. That would great.
00:02:36
Speaker
that would be great maybe Maybe we call it the ten the top 10, but then it's the uncut edition with two extra options, like two extra entries.
00:02:49
Speaker
It's just like the extra almost like the unrated edition or something. There's just like two jugs or something, and it makes up the number 12. The whole bloody affair.
Indie Film Highlights
00:02:59
Speaker
Yes.
00:03:00
Speaker
ah Yeah, very topical. The whole juicy affair. that's That's good. i like that one. um but So, I mean, we didn't we forgot to discuss who's what order we're going to go in, who goes first, second, and third. um Okay, we'll draw straws.
00:03:20
Speaker
Yeah, sure. Here, take a straw. Who thinks they have the most interesting movie to end on? Who thinks they'll go out with the biggest bang? Hmm. Well, like, i the my number one is a movie that is, like, perpetually either at other people's top five or top eight, is the way I'll phrase it without spoiling it.
00:03:41
Speaker
So it wouldn't be, like, a complete shock? it's not like No, exactly. It's not, like, two off the beaten path. Anyone want to volunteer themselves for a number? I'm down to go first or second, maybe.
00:03:52
Speaker
I think you should go first. Okay, I'll go first. You start off. Who wants to go second? I'll go. I'll go second. You'll go second and we'll round it out with
Sincerity in 2025 Films
00:04:03
Speaker
Tony. Rollo Tony. Sure. Yeah.
00:04:05
Speaker
ah Okay. Very cool. um Well, should we start right now or does anyone want to shout out anything specific from or like in particular from this year? this This year was great. like I feel like when we recorded an episode like at the beginning of the summer, we're like, yeah, it's been kind of slow so far. There's been some good movies, but it's not really quite the same as last year. like Now I'm at the point where I'm like, no, yeah, this year is stuffed with bangers. I'm better than 2024.
Unique Storytelling in Films
00:04:37
Speaker
mean, as ah as a year itself, my life i didn't care
00:04:45
Speaker
uh movie wise i think it was pretty fucking good so yeah there's there's definitely stuff i i want shout out that dock doesn't make the 12 like um um Baltimore Ones I just watched recently. It's the new Jay Duplass movie. It's about a guy on Christmas Eve has like a dental emergency. Like he like chips his tooth and then he has to find a dentist that's open and it it just spirals into this like chaotic day where he's just hanging out with his dentist, with his older female dentist. And there's like a ah spark there. but also he's like you know bailing on his girlfriend to do this but it's it's still the heart like it doesn't feel gross like it's like it's like the i in my letterbox review i call it the anti-heartbreak kid because in that movie you know that that's about a guy who's like gets married and then on his honeymoon is pursuing another woman you know the whole time you're like you don't have to do this man but like in in baltimore ons it feels like like how the universe is just pushing them together. Like, it's like, this just feels natural. This just needs to occur.
00:05:52
Speaker
Yeah, I dug the Baltimore runs that as someone who because that movie is about a former alcoholic going through dental problems. And as a former alcoholic who is currently going through dental problems, I
Heartfelt Storytelling in Cinema
00:06:03
Speaker
felt very seen. The movie was around Christmas and I've got a temporary crown in that I've been hoping stays in throughout this whole break until I can go back to the dentist ah but sometime in like a week.
00:06:16
Speaker
But, yeah, I thought this movie was so great, so charming. Like, I'm glad you brought it up. but Like I said, I felt totally seen by this movie. oh By the way, your dentists, ah are they a looker or you know, can you do Baltimore on scenario with with them? or He's a big hairy man. Okay. Well, so that's a different movie, but you know, maybe that's a Joe Swanberg.
00:06:45
Speaker
Yeah. Do we, is he even allowed to use a camera anymore?
Casting Choices & Narrative Structure
00:06:49
Speaker
i don't know. I think <unk>s he's in a basement somewhere. He's, he's locked up. Keep him there. Um,
00:06:58
Speaker
I feel like the other ones I would want to shout out are might end up on some of ah the lists. i mean I'll do a quick shout out to Mission Impossible, The Final Reckoning. Hell yeah. i You know, that movie has its flaws. It it disappointed me in some ways, but also i took my mom to see it, and it was such a special moment that I had with her.
00:07:23
Speaker
It was awesome. I got to see... ah
Festival Films & Hidden Gems
00:07:27
Speaker
This is Spinal Tap in theaters with my dad. that was a really yeah that was a really nice experience. And then seeing Kill Bill the Whole Bloody Affair with my girlfriend, I'd say, was another like really special experience I had at the movie theater this day. I kind of want to shout out ah those three moments. And small indie that might not get talked about, Sorry Baby, that movie. like i need to see that, yeah.
00:07:52
Speaker
The movie really touched me. um but yeah, Tony, you got anything you want to shout out from this year? Yeah. So to kind of start this off, this was the year I started hopping on this podcast and i felt like I jumped on on like the perfect time. It was when like the summer was hot and there was so many great like in original ah thought provoking,
Finalizing the Top Movies List
00:08:13
Speaker
not just independent films, but blockbusters as well. And I feel like that's been kind of the name of the game for this year. It felt like there was this aversion to films that were stuck in this mode of post irony that we've seen in the past 20 years, like following like things like The Dark Knight and stuff. It feels like things are a lot more sincere now, like the artists are looking to express things and and and films are more empathetically felt now. So when it comes from a cinematic standpoint, it was ah a great year at the movies specifically because there wasn't like
00:08:46
Speaker
Like there were certainly the big hits, but there were like more lanes. There were more niches that people were digging into. and And when I've been looking over everybody else's like top of the year list,
Unique Storytelling & Performances
00:08:57
Speaker
it makes me happy to see such a diversity of what where things rank, because that's the best ah demarcation of a good year in movies, in my opinion. ah When it comes to movies, I wanted to shout out before we got into the proper list. So I'll have three of them.
00:09:12
Speaker
First one, I wanted to shout out Pavements, the Alex Ross Perry movie. um you know this This was a ah movie that going into it, I'd heard about it for years. like And I heard that there was like ah a stage show. There was a movie within a movie. It was a documentary. It somehow is able to thread all of these different approaches to storytelling to come together to make a new kind of movie. And um and I say that with...
00:09:39
Speaker
apprehensive to being pretentious in any way. This is an utterly unique film. um It's a lot more ah than just a documentary about pavements
Mixed Feelings on 'Knives Out' Series
00:09:48
Speaker
and a lot of like the stuff in terms of like worship um rightfully so feels tongue in cheek. The next film I wanted to shout out is a reflection in a dead diamond.
00:10:00
Speaker
It's a very recent shutter release. Yeah. fantastic send up of 60s Italian spy films. But there's also a giallo mix to it as well. But then narratively, it actually has a lot more in common with like a 60s Bergman or Fellini picture. um Very ah like we're we're watching this like old man at the end of his life and his memories are bleeding together in a way that expresses itself in genre filmmaking um and in a lot of genre films the spectacle is just the point and there's not much to it and this one the spectacle is the point but it's like without the spectacle like the rest of the film would not have as much meaning so when it comes to like style exercises this one's must watch The last movie I'm going to shout out right now is Evil Puddle.
00:10:47
Speaker
ah So this one is a bit of a bias pick because I am in this
Praise for 'One Battle After Another'
00:10:51
Speaker
movie. um So this is a movie. You're in Evil Puddle? I am in Evil Puddle. I didn't know. I thought I'd brought it up to you that I didn't know i was in Evil Puddle yet, but I have seen the movie and I can now confirm I am in Evil Puddle. You've talked about Matt Farley movies before, but I didn't realize that you were actually in one.
00:11:11
Speaker
I am in Evil Puddle, and to give it kind of background story for what it actually is, this is like Matt Farley and Charlie Roxborough's send-up of disaster films from the 70s, but it's $10,000, like,
00:11:28
Speaker
movie made in the suburbs of massachusetts it' it's it's got a crazy ensemble of not just people who live within this town but also several people who are twitter personalities like uh seth vargas is in it um uh brianna uh ziggler i believe her name is like
Modern Takes on Personal Struggles
00:11:45
Speaker
she's in the film as well like people who are known in the film spheres it's like a kind of like big uh celebration of what the Motรถrn Media movie is. I wouldn't say that this one is one of their best films. This one is a lot of fun, though. I'd probably rank this alongside something like Slingshot Cops, where the genre pastiche um is the priority here, and there's not a whole lot in terms of like the sentimentality, which I usually lean towards with their movies. Regardless, this is a wonderful picture, If you like seeing non-actors, you know, try to act very seriously and it's all tongue in cheek. This is the exact kind of movie. I mean, I'm I'm like I'm excited to see that now. I mean, I was already like priming to, you know, just I haven't seen any Matt Farley movies. So like I i was.
00:12:36
Speaker
Where would you recommend i'd start not with removing the bias of the one you're in? Like Magic Spot is one people
Cultural Specificity in 'Sister Midnight'
00:12:44
Speaker
throw around a lot, right? Is that like a good one? Without any hyperbole, I always compare that film to It's a Wonderful Life. Like in terms of quality. Yeah, Magic Spot is on the same level as It's a Wonderful Life. I am saying that with my whole heart. And I would also shout out Heard She Got Married. I think that that's probably my favorite film, personally.
00:13:04
Speaker
That one's a lot closer to like a Coen Brothers film. That sounds nice to With Evil Puddle, um I feel like Evil Puddle is kind of like you have to watch it at the end. The same as ah the his other most recent film, ah Local Legends Bloodbath. These two movies feel like you can't really... like If you don't know anything about Matt Farley or the motor media thing, if you were to try to watch those movies first, you'd be completely like, what, what is this? Literally any other film other than the ones I just shouted out there, you can jump in and you'll get it immediately.
Themes of 'Materialists' by Celine Song
00:13:39
Speaker
Okay. I can dig. Yeah. I just added, uh, both those movies to my watch list. It's, You know, I hadn't heard of either of them before, so this already pretty valuable episode. um Reflection and a Dead Diamond looks fucking awesome, though. Thank you for especially recommending that one.
00:13:55
Speaker
um Can't wait to watch that. It's fantastic. like so yeah i've seen Get yourself in the most horizontal. Screen caps for it. And I legit just thought it was a 60s thing. Scrolling past it quickly. I was like, yeah, it looks like a cool 60s movie. was like, no, actually, that came out this year. Oh, another quick shout out. I mean, I feel like...
00:14:18
Speaker
This movie is like not even towards the top of of my list, but it's just a fun time. It's just like ah caught stealing, you know, like ah Austin Butler. He's he's the man. i feel like he's got like no I'm not trying to put down any other, you know. ah you you know, new, uh, rising stars that Tom Cruise may have anointed or anything, but yeah I feel like he should have gone with
Slow-Paced Storytelling in 'The Mastermind'
00:14:48
Speaker
Austin Butler as, as his, like his movie son, because Austin Butler is kind of, he's just like, has that this natural pull that like, you just want to keep watching him. And he's also really good at running cinematically. He does a lot of running in this movie.
00:15:05
Speaker
From what I heard, Denzel is actually Austin Butler's mentor, and Denzel has taken Butler under his wing. Didn't he get him the Elvis part or something, or played a role in that or something?
00:15:18
Speaker
He might have had a hand in it, but they did Broadway together, and he just... Yeah, he thought, like, this guy like has just such a great work ethic, and he found that Butler would challenge himself to rise like higher and higher to the occasion each day. And Denzel recognized that was like, okay, I'm going to take you under my wing and kind of give you some tips. You're going to be my guy. Hell yeah.
Exploration of Queer Identity in 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'
00:15:43
Speaker
That's awesome. I mean, yeah. Okay. So one of, you know, as long as it's one of the biggest movie stars ever has, ah you know, chosen to take you under your wing then he'll probably be okay yeah this one just kind of went under the radar because Darren Aronofsky stuff like it can just be i kind of have to be in a mood for that like I I still haven't watched The Whale and not even because like yeah people are mixed on it but just like a movie in that register like I really have to be in a specific mindset to like want to watch so
00:16:16
Speaker
It was nice just to see him just make a straightforward, entertaining thing. I mean, there's a character has like trauma and, you know, there's like, you know, he can like dip into darker stuff in in that movie. But it's all it seemed. The main goal is just to like, yeah, this is a fun romp. Hell yeah. I and caught stealing. Great, ah great shout out. Great movie. A return to form for Aronofsky for sure. Yeah, he should. He should do some more like just like.
00:16:42
Speaker
normie stuff. Yeah. yeah Stop trying to light the world on fire all the time. um Actually, if we've got a bit of time, like, can I shout out just like a couple more if if that's okay? Yeah. um there the ah The only other ones I wanted to shout out were um Universal Language. This is a Canadian film. ah It's ah essentially like in alternate Canada where imagine Canada, but Persian.
00:17:09
Speaker
um It's incredible. um Very ah inspired by Wes Anderson and its symmetry. um And I also wanted to shout out um Toxic Avenger.
00:17:20
Speaker
I don't think we're going to talk about Toxic Avenger later on, but I did really love that movie. And I think that it's made with so much goddamn heart. And I really love what Macon Blair did with that. and I hope that we get more like that from him. Yeah, I loved that. Yeah, I want to see what he has next. I was so happy to support Toxic Avenger. That movie just rules. Amazing. There was some story, I forgot what it was, but for every amount earned through ticket sales, I forgot what the cause was. It went to some kind of environmental cause, right? No, they paid off medical debt, I think.
00:17:58
Speaker
Oh, medical debt, because that's also, it's not just like pollution. Like that's his whole like motivating factor initially is like the healthcare. Like, yeah. I mean. Yeah. Shout out to that movie on top of like, just feeling like I was supporting something good. It was just such a fun fucking time at the movies. I saw it to my girl with my girlfriend and she thought she was going to hate it. And she had a blast. That was one of the funnier or like funniest movies I saw in a theater this year, I think.
00:18:27
Speaker
Yeah, it's a great time. bring Bring your kids watch it. They'll love it. Yeah. um You guys ready to hop in? Or did you have any more movies, Tony? No, no, that was it. like I saw an opportunity to shout it a couple more, and I just wanted to sneak them in there.
00:18:41
Speaker
Okay, just one final shout out quickly. Nick, when we went on that trek to see Ephus, I feel like... about to say, if Doug is shouting out one more movie, I'm going shout out Ephus, but you're doing it for me. Okay, go ahead. Because that was... I just loved... There was a cool theater, and was such It's just that movie is just a vibe. And then I rewatched it again at home recently because it's like we watched it in the summer in an air conditioned theater. But it it still hits at home. Like if you watch it in the fall when the movie because it's like set in October or something, it's it's an it's a fall movie. So like it's got those vibes and it's just like you're just hanging out, you know, like, yeah, I'm all about that.
00:19:27
Speaker
Yeah, that was a great time at the movies. i It's so chill and laid back, just like you said. i Great shout out. I just bought that movie recently. I really want to rewatch it. um That was such a charming and nice experience.
00:19:42
Speaker
And then we went on to eat afterwards. Oh, right. Yeah. Really good time. Yeah. Thanks for shouting that out. You remember that part when I said I was done shouting at movies where you lied?
00:19:53
Speaker
yeah Exactly. I was a big old liar. i had one more. I just remembered that I wanted to shout out. So ah Nicholas Cage is the surfer. I really love that movie. I feel like it's been forgotten about and it so much so that I forgot about it.
00:20:09
Speaker
But but ah Nicholas Gages, the surfer is an incredible movie. The antagonist in the film, and his name is escaping me. He died this year. He delivers an incredible performance in the movie. It's his last performance. Oh, Julian McMullen, the guy who was Dr. Doom in the bad Fantastic Four, right? Yeah, exactly. Yes, exactly. That guy. Yeah. And he's incredible in it. And also it's that kind of classic, like everything that can go wrong does go wrong for him. And if you like a dash of surreality to that, the surfer might be your lane.
00:20:42
Speaker
Okay. I'm always, you know, down for when Cage locks in. Not that he's like checked out ever, but like when someone, when it's just the stars a align, it's like, okay, this is perfect material for him to make sing.
00:20:57
Speaker
I like Nicolas Cage when he's not working with people he get who get into fistfights with people on sets or ah get into like weird allegation territory with their like siblings or get into fistfights with George Clooney. you know That's where I draw the line with Nicolas Cage movies.
00:21:14
Speaker
I don't know what you're talking about. I'm looking forward to seeing Nick Cage in a fat suit. Madden coming soon to theater new year. The world has been asking, how do we make him fat? That's just weird.
00:21:30
Speaker
I like i get why someone like Cage would want to work with David. over Like I said, like the same thing that appeals to bail, where it's like if you have actor brain, he lets you like go big, you know, like it does. Doesn't even matter if it fits the movie. And like that probably sounds appealing as a challenge of like, yeah, you're going fat suit play this famous like sports announcer. be like, yeah, OK, I see why Cage would take that. But why do they cast him?
00:21:58
Speaker
like How does that decision come where it's like this is our guy? a giant dump truck pulls up to their house and just unloads their paycheck and then drives away in the night. That's my that's my bet on that one.
00:22:11
Speaker
But who sent the dump trucks? You guys ready to hop into the episode? Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it. After a lengthy prologue. Yeah, sorry. So without further ado, top 12 movies of 2025.
00:22:25
Speaker
All right, so my number 12 is... I'm going to probably not spend a whole lot of time on 11 and 12 just because I didn't ah prepare as much, but my number 12 is this movie Lurker. It should be streaming on Mubi right now, but it's ah from director Alex Russell, his directorial debut, about this...
00:22:45
Speaker
fan that kind of leeches on to this pop star. And it reminds me of Nightcrawler. Actually, it feels very influenced by Nightcrawler.
00:22:57
Speaker
But I was so like, I found this movie almost hypnotic. I was very transfixed by it. I just from beginning to end could not take my eyes off it. It had my full attention It was just, I loved watching it. I think it's a great directorial debut. um I can't wait to see what Alex Russell does going forward. But even like the acting, everybody feels so naturalistic in it. um It's just a great experience. If you have a chance, go purchase it or check it out on MUBI. love it.
00:23:33
Speaker
It's one of my favorite movies of the year. I really tried to get it in my top 10 and I'm glad we're doing this top 12 now so I get a chance to really emphasize ah this movie, but.
00:23:45
Speaker
Yeah, i hope people I hope this reaches more people because it doesn't seem like a lot of people even heard about this one, but I thought it was great. It was one of my favorite times at the movies this year.
00:23:57
Speaker
Lurker, awesome movie. I remember seeing the trailer for before another A24 movie, and like the trailer just from that like looked really arresting. Like like you were saying, like it's like kind of hypnotic. like I was feeling that just from the like couple minutes...
00:24:13
Speaker
that I saw. And then I just like, uh, that moment passed by and then it just wasn't in theaters anymore. Yeah. It was in theaters briefly. It's actually a movie original though. Um, okay.
00:24:25
Speaker
Yeah. But, uh, Tony, have you seen lurker? I'm in a similar position as Doug, where I kept on seeing that trailer in front of other movies. And for whatever reason, I just didn't catch it. ah But it did like what you use the word arresting at one point. yeah And that's something that was ah sticking out to me in terms of the visuals for the film itself. And I will definitely check it out before I start properly watching 2026 movies. Yeah, it's a solid watch. I think if you're a fan of Nightcrawler, I think you'll enjoy this one. Hell yeah.
00:24:57
Speaker
I'm looking forward to it. So I think, Doug, you're up next. Okay, well, my number 12 is Splitsville. What is wrong with you? Okay, you can have sex with my wife, but I can't have sex with yours. On what fucking planet, Paul? Hey, I don't want to have sex with you either, Ashley. Okay, I just want my wife back. God, why does everything have to be so complicated? I'm not that bad looking. This has nothing to do with looks. I'm telling you, this kind of shit happens all the time here. come on something let's go who are they her lovers ex lovers go home hey moving night every thursday next week' drs if I so to
00:25:47
Speaker
low-key a great year for comedies especially indie comedies ah that are surprisingly like the we'll probably bring up some other indie comedies that maybe pull heartstrings a little more but like this was like very heartfelt like more than i expected and ah but it's also like very silly because like all the characters involved are super immature you know like i think we were saying tony and dms it's like about how everyone is 12 and it's like that's yeah that's everyone's conflict resolution ah you know style uh kyle marvin and michael angelo covino i need to see their other stuff they've done together like uh they're the you know writers one of them directed and they both star in it and they have like
00:26:36
Speaker
you know the these hot women cast as their wife, Dakota Johnson, and eight is it Adria or Adria Ajorna? least Adria, maybe? Adria. Adria Ajorna, yeah. So, like, it's... that that is very The movie is, like, aware of that fact, though. that Like, they're just guys, and they have, like, these extremely hot... white Where you're like, how what's so impressive about these guys? Like, the movie is...
00:27:05
Speaker
not it's not like the movie is just about that but it's not not about that so that's my 12. Yeah, Splitsville is great. It was one of my favorite comedies of the year, too. I thought Dakota Johnson was fantastic in it, but the two men in that movie were just great. I didn't catch a few shouted out there fight scenes that they had in that movie. Yeah, they have a they live length style fight that just keeps going. First, you think it's just going to be some slaps and they escalate from that, but they keep They even stop at one point because they break the quarter. You compared to They Live?
00:27:44
Speaker
I'd say it tops the They Live fight, honestly. This movie, it just is awesome. It like it keeps getting better and better. like I don't want to oversell it for people, but I think it's like just this fight scene should be released on the Criterion Collection or something. It's impressive. They did their own stunt work too, which like yeah you, when you see the movie, you're like, what they're getting thrown the fuck around. Like they, they're, they're breaking shit, rolling off, falling off of shit. And they're like, yeah, we got banged up a little, but it's fine.
00:28:16
Speaker
I also think that pulling a move like that is such a great like ah way to win over the audience. The fact that the filmmakers are putting themselves in like the craziest, like in quotations, most dangerous position, it shows that they really will do whatever it takes to tell whatever kinds of stories they want to tell. And and you brought up their previous films like ah The Climb.
00:28:36
Speaker
ah this This movie, Splitsville, is far different from their previous ah ah work. This is a lot broader. This is a lot more ah something in line with something you would see from even like an Adam Sandler movie. But somehow it really like manages to like become something that's really sentimental and sweet by the end. And and I felt like i I was really won over by it at the end. Like I loved it all throughout, but but at the ending specifically, it all came into view. And I was like, yeah, this is what it's all about. I'm glad you shouted it out, Doug, because it just escaped the top 12 for me.
00:29:11
Speaker
Yeah, now that we expanded to 12, I'm going to send you another clip because there's a moment in in this that i I'm like, wow, it's like they put this joke in for me when when he's one guy goes back home and he's hanging out with with all her boyfriends, like as they just like start staying around the house and they're doing movie night. They're like, yeah, Laszlo's oil like or Lorenzo's oil. Yeah. Like, yeah. What's it about? Like, oh, this guy has some oil. Save his son. One thing I really enjoyed about Splitsville is it's a comedy that's not afraid to make you uncomfortable or present uncomfortable ideas. Like, I don't know, I really put myself in the main character's shoes and was imagining... I would feel pretty tortured having to live with everybody that my ex was banging or had banged, like, after me. or It was like...
00:30:05
Speaker
I don't know. it just It's not afraid to go to uncomfortable places and put you as an audience member in an uncomfortable spot and its characters in pretty uncomfortable spots. And I just really appreciated it for that.
00:30:19
Speaker
Well, actually, to to continue with that thought, right, like the whole movie is about the ways in which ordinary people put themselves in uncomfortable positions because they think that that's the way that they're going to get happier. But every time it happens, it's not the case. And like all classic romantic comedies, ah the whole problem actually stems from an issue of communication. And and when it gets that point where it's like everybody just needs to talk, sometimes in these romantic comedies, it just feels like, oh, this just this needs to happen out of narrative convenience. This feels like it naturally comes to this place because everybody involved, all four of them are just so stupid and so silly. And it works so well for this kind of, ah you know, up for a comedy. And it's still kind of messy in the end without getting into specific. Like, it's not like completely tidy on all ends of like where things land, like with the relationship. So like, I like that too, that there's like, like there's always going to be like unresolved shit.
00:31:13
Speaker
hmm. That's life. Yeah, great pick for your number 12. Thank you. Thank you. Tony. Tony, you're up. So similar. I chose a small indie comedy as well. ah Wake Up Dead Man. Knives Out. I thought you were being serious. ever You got me with that.
00:31:35
Speaker
you never know what you're gonna get same route i was i was about to guess what it was yeah it's like no okay different one how many are left yeah like you but yeah no i uh for for me in the knives out series i really enjoyed the first one i thought that was a a capital ah F fun movie. I really enjoyed it. I really despise Glass Onion. I felt like that really missed the mark. I think it's actually like one of the most overrated movies in terms of this decade. That's fire.
00:32:06
Speaker
Like, hey, I like I think that last shot is just OK. You know, I think that movie is far too maligned, right? Like with the glass on end, I'm like more maligning. ah But when it comes to wake up, dead man, I'm like, this is exactly like the kind of mode not only for a Knives Out movie, but like what a Rian Johnson movie should be. You can like it's a very dynamic film and how it's captured.
00:32:28
Speaker
um like all good mysteries, the mystery is not the most important aspect. It's actually what the story is trying to say, what these characters are, how they interact with one another and what their goals are in life. And I just admired how at all times, uh,
00:32:45
Speaker
The idea of theology being like this grounding force, rather than coming across like a a bad religious film, it actually came across like a genuine message and plea for empathy, which obviously the film is a commentary on living through the Trump years. And I feel as though this is a far more refined critique of the Times TM.
00:33:07
Speaker
Great movie. I love it. I'm going to watch it all the time. I'm going watch this over and over again. Yeah, it was great. I still, I need to like rewatch it more before I can confidently say it's my favorite, but it's like right there with the first one for me.
00:33:22
Speaker
Hell yeah, good choice for your number 12. Guys ready to hop into number 11 picks? Yeah, let's do it. My number 11 choice, again, I'll keep it pretty short on this. I'm sure we we'll have more to talk about.
00:33:33
Speaker
We'll be talking about this movie as the episode goes on, but... My number 11 pick is One Battle After Another from Paul Thomas Anderson. Rise and shine. Hi. What's up?
00:33:45
Speaker
What's up, homie? It's me again, Bob Ferguson. i don't know if you remember, but we we we spoke earlier on the on the phone. I think we had a little misunderstanding.
00:33:56
Speaker
i think we got off on the wrong foot. I was trying to get that the rendezvous point for my daughter, right Willa. can't answer what time is it. I cannot give you the rendezvous point.
00:34:08
Speaker
I'm surprised you can't name it. I don't know if you are who you say you are. Okay. This movie is a fucking blast. It was maybe one of the funniest movies I saw at the theater. It was, I saw it in a packed house. Surprisingly Yes. Everybody was laughing just almost like every like five, 10 minutes there was just the audience erupting into laughter. The vibes were great seeing this movie. The performances were great. There's a few narrative things that kind of rub me the wrong way, but ah that aside, this movie is just an incredible experience with a very timely message, and I i just love that this movie's out there. I talked to some people in the real world who maybe don't necessarily lean...
00:34:59
Speaker
ah laughter have maybe questionable viewpoints and they were saying how this movie really bothered them and it's their least favorite dicaprio movie And I'm like, good. I'm glad this you saw this movie and it made you feel weird you should feel weird ah But it's like, this movie's just great. There's a power to this movie. It's probably going win Best Picture, I would assume. i don't know. I feel like it it seems like it may be the front runner. I'm not too sure. i haven't been in the awards conversation. I think that's fair to say.
00:35:33
Speaker
What'd you say? It's to get noms. I think that's fair to say. Like, yeah, whether or not where the chips will land in terms of winner, I feel like it's still kind of up in the air, but it's getting in there nom-wise.
00:35:45
Speaker
Yeah, but ah one battle after another. Oh, Benicio too. Want to shout him out and his character. Awesome. Everything he's doing. The movie just fucking comes to life.
00:35:56
Speaker
ah This movie has a very similar energy, at least to me, as like Magnolia. And that's my favorite PTA. It just is one that's, it doesn't stop. It keeps moving. And I, I loved it for that. But ah yeah, one battle after another. I, this movie rules.
00:36:14
Speaker
Yeah, some people have said it's like two really long or could be shorter, but it's like it does not feel like three hours to me. the fucking flies Not at all. not at all Obviously, we're going to be talking about this movie more as we continue. But I do. what One thing I do want to say about it, because it's a fantastic movie and it's great and belongs on on your list like that, of course.
00:36:37
Speaker
ah One thing I was going to say was that just in terms of like people's perception of it, just on a broad scale, this is what it feels like when like a new heat comes out. Right. Like when a new like.
00:36:48
Speaker
like dad classic movie comes out and it's going to be like one of those things that are going to be like on TV all the time. It's going to be like endlessly quoted. It's to be on t-shirts. Like this is, this is not like beyond like how people feel about it one way or another. I think this is really like the cultural lightning rod of 2025, at least from the major releases this year.
00:37:10
Speaker
That's why it feels like it would make sense to nominate or for this to win Best Picture. It feels like it. and it kind of up It's like the Oppenheimer of this year. Yeah, this I feel like it's this sinners. No other choice. Maybe Begonia, something like that.
00:37:27
Speaker
ah The nominations will like shake out to be. i will fight to keep Begonia off personally, but. Oh, you know you felt that strongly against it. we'll We'll see how it shakes out later on. You know, if so, if it's on somebody else's list, I'll, I'll expand.
00:37:42
Speaker
yeah Okay. All right, cool. Yeah. Doug, you're next. You're number 11. Oh, did you guys feel that? Oh, someone's, i think someone's kicking me. ah so my Next one is, ah If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You.
00:38:00
Speaker
ah Fantastic performance by Byrne. I've always been a fan of her, um but this is like her at a whole different level. I mean, Tony, off mic, you compared it to, before I even saw it, you were kind of like...
00:38:18
Speaker
i I think because I'd said people were saying Die My Love was like ah being compared to um a woman under the influence. And you're like, no, actually, like this is the woman under the influence. And then when i watched, I was like, oh, holy shit. This is just like the modern day like take of that.
00:38:34
Speaker
But also like that movie without giving away 50 year old movie. ah But but like that's like it's less even about like. oh, is there some kind of like undiagnosed thing going on with this woman? It's more just like life and circumstances. like me Because like i while I'm watching it, I'm putting myself in her shoes. I'm like, yeah she's reasonably stressed. I don't know. I would i would be pretty overwhelmed by like all the stuff she's dealing with. i Does she make a couple bad calls? Yeah. ah But, you know, I don't know. i
00:39:12
Speaker
She's a good mom. is where I land. She's trying. She's trying. It's really hard. Having a kid looks like the fucking most annoying shit ever. never want to do it. don't want to get a hamster. Someone even abandons their kid. A different character is like, I can't do this. Take my kid at one point. Spoilers for if I had legs. Which is probably frustrating for her because she's like, yeah, I could do that too if I want it, but I don't.
00:39:41
Speaker
I love that this film at no point makes any ah attempt to like, explicitly paint her as a good mother, right? Like, it doesn't, like, try to do, like, the traditional, like, hey, you know, like, but at least, like, I said I love you here and all this other stuff, it's okay. Like, no, this is just, like, she's in hell and she's trying to deal with hell and she makes mistakes, but the movie doesn't really hold those things against her because everything else is so crazy. I think it's a really fascinating way to approach this kind of story.
00:40:12
Speaker
Yeah, and I'm sure that's the last we'll hear about this, so... yeah No one will ever talk about it again. Nope, never. Closing the book on that one.
00:40:23
Speaker
Well, instead, i'll I'll talk about my 11, actually, because it's related to this one. um And the reason it's related is because I've noticed that there was a trilogy this year, an unofficial trilogy, and I'm calling it the Night Bitch trilogy. The reason I'm calling it the Night Bitch trilogy is because there were three movies released this year with the same plot structure and conceit as Night Bitch.
00:40:44
Speaker
But the only key difference is that all three of these movies were better than the movie Night Bitch. um So the three movies in question were, if I had legs, I'd kick you. um There's Die My Love. And then there's my number 11, which is Sister Midnight, which is an Indian film, um a magnet releasing classic. Yeah. And ah when it comes to what this film is about, it's about this ah young woman. She's in an arranged marriage. She's now with her husband and her husband is completely neglecting her. He's barely making any money and barely giving her any money. And it makes her go fucking nuts.
00:41:23
Speaker
And it's a fantastic film in terms of how it like blends ah the specific cultural um specificities of Indian culture, especially in the lower classes.
00:41:37
Speaker
And combining that with like a Western genre appeal, the closest filmmaker I could compare it to is Anna Lily Almapur with films like ah Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Um, it's very much in that lane. Uh, surprisingly hilarious movie. There are stop motion goats that are very cute and sing songs.
00:41:57
Speaker
Um, and the final, like five minutes of this movie will make you want to like do laps around your house or something. Fantastic movie. Uh, can't recommend it more. Well, you mentioned A Girl Walks Home Alone at night. You got me interested, so I'm going to have to check this one out.
00:42:13
Speaker
Definitely. Yeah, yeah i'm I'm hyped for it. I mean, magnet just just say something's Magnet releasing them. Like, they've... They did were so before I mean, we shout them out in in one of our previous episodes. Sorry, but it's like they were like kind of so of vital to like those formative, like kind of like growing my taste as I like got more into movies or different kinds of movies. It's like, yeah, time crimes and other like independent or an international stuff like that, like without Magnet.
00:42:43
Speaker
i like And on that note, right? Like when, when we were having that discussion about magnet, like they've made so many films as well as like funded the distribution for so many great international films. Right. Like I think about movies like time crimes. I think about movies like the host. And I think that sister midnight ranks among those movies. This is one those kinds of exciting, like this is a new voice. Like I'm going to watch whatever this director is going to make.
00:43:08
Speaker
And ah this, this movie in particular means a lot to me. So Yeah, I really love it. I'm shutting it out now and I hope other people check it out. Hell yeah. good pick. My turn for number 10. We're in the number 10.
00:43:21
Speaker
This one we probably won't spend too much time on. My number 10 is if I had legs, I'd kick you right along there with Doug. i yeah Yeah, I watched this movie late at night one day, didn't know what I was in for. I just heard Oscar buzz for Rose Byrne, and I'm like, okay, let me throw this out. Oh, I didn't even realize that Conan or ASAP were in this. They're both incredible in it.
00:43:46
Speaker
Yeah, this movie kept getting better and better as it was as I was discovering like everything about it. But no, watching this almost... I don't even know quite how to describe it. It was similar to like Lurker where I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen. similar to like It was just very hypnotic. i ah just This movie has a power to it. I could see myself watching it again and again. Just really...
00:44:16
Speaker
um and Just almost like studying it in a way. I don't know. This movie worked hard for me. It felt like, I don't know. I'm not a big David Lynch person, but it almost felt like how, and not saying that I don't like David Lynch, but I just haven't seen a lot of his movies, but it almost felt like how people describe watching David Lynch movies. Oh, it does dip into the surreal, like so more than I thought it would, like with the hole in her place.
00:44:44
Speaker
uh like the the weird imagery uh there or like erase her head a little bit yeah even just the nature of the daughter's illness because we'd never see her right until like the very end like it's like the last shot you see her face but otherwise like we're always it's like you know we're we're in a close-up on her you know so it's like it's like the world is closing in on her Yeah, and I just felt so locked in to this movie and what it was doing. And and yeah, that's why it's my number 10. This movie felt very special and unique and made me feel things. And I provided just a great experience.
00:45:25
Speaker
Not since Sonora have we been able to walk on the wild side. I dig that. All right, Doug, you're up with your number 10? Yeah.
00:45:37
Speaker
Yeah. Welcome to your life. There's no turning back. I was born in 1601.
00:45:51
Speaker
every Everybody wants to rule the world. Okay, okay. It's Marty Supreme is my 10. What's the last movie you watched? It might have been Tron Legacy on the flight back from Abu Dhabi with Jeff Bridges and Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde.
00:46:08
Speaker
Wow. Never heard of it. Great Daft Punk score. Oh, cool. Let me let me get my Kevin O'Leary rant out of the way because i that line would have been really...
00:46:19
Speaker
that could have gone so hard like it made me think of like people even post a comparison of um um what's what's his name from it's always sunny in in blackberry uh harrton glenn harrton yeah yeah when he's like yeah i'm from waterloo where the vampires are like you know like it should be like deranged and scary and kevin o'leary like he's just playing kevin o'leary so i'm like not afraid of the movie you know like i'm just like i don't know you're on a stupid show i don't care about Anyway, oh, the movie itself is great. I was about jump in and say it's a Canadian everything. Those are my thoughts.
00:46:59
Speaker
No, ah the movie itself is like, ah besides one casting choice that I've... And to be fair, it's he's deployed in the best way you way you could use someone with his limits. like I do think there is some intentionality to...
00:47:15
Speaker
how different that character in marty's world feels because it's like yeah that's inaccessible to marty he will never as much as he can hustle i just like movies about people trying to spin a bunch of plates and like you're wondering like how are they going to do this because i was surprised how similar in structure it was to uncut gems like it's like oh ah you know it's very rooted in ah Jewish culture a lot, but also it's like he owes his like uncle... ah It's not his uncle in Uncut Gemset owes the money to, but it is a family member, so it's like they both owe money to family members. um there's There's the whole...
00:47:58
Speaker
like, yeah, just just just a broke broke broke-ass dude running around New York like trying to like make bullshit his way into like making it happen is electric to what... I don't know. When the performance is as good as like ah Timothy's is, and i i I don't know, I need to see it again, but my impulse is to say this is his best work in terms of like this feels like the role he was born to play. Because he's...
00:48:26
Speaker
because he's marty is so unwilling to accept even the possibility of failure and like i feel like that's just like maybe also timothy chalamet so like it's not saying that they're the same person the same people morally timmy timothy would never do stuff marty does oh what did marty do anything that bad they're all You know, Howie from Uncut and Panson and Good Time, they're they're all fine guys. They didn't do anything wrong. They're my friends.
00:48:59
Speaker
I like watching them. I feel like if Marty ultimately ditched Odessa, right, ah then, you know, that would have been the line, right? But because he doesn't cross that line, we ultimately still side with him.
00:49:13
Speaker
Even though we know that it's bad for both right? Because it's like they just bring out the worst in each other. Like, like that she's, like, definitely... almost like infected with his bullshit where she's like, you know, doing, trying to pull hustles to a very dangerous degree, you know, that it's like, Oh, you shouldn't not want this man in your life, but well it's i like, like, i yeah, I don't know if it like ends well for them.
00:49:40
Speaker
Well, for, for her specifically, they, they kind of painted out that like they grew up together. Right. And you get the impression that like, she kind of almost like has been opining for a long time. Right. And ah it's kind of like, ah again, to invoke it again, it's a wonderful life, right? Like, I want to marry a George Bailey. They have a kind of like that kind of relationship, right? Where she wants to be in on those hustles largely because she's so smitten with him as well. I think that there is a symbiotic thing that's happening there because she knows that he's the love of her life. He needs to wake up to her being the love of his life. I love the movie as well. um is I just wanted to throw that out there.
00:50:20
Speaker
Gwyneth Paltrow also bringing heat. like ah I don't remember. I mean, she hasn't really been any real movies lately, has she? like a Avengers Endgame. Avengers Infinity War. Oh, right, right, right, right. Mordecai.
00:50:40
Speaker
Does not match her performances in those, but she's pretty good No, yeah, she's she's fantastic. She still has it. And the clip ah that that will be from this movie won't be, like, ah from the actual movie. It's just, like, they're interviewing rapid-fire questions, and Gwyneth asks Timothy, like, hey, what's the... um most recent movie you've watched and timothy was like on a plane i think it was tron legacy you know garrett headlin and jeff bridges and she's just like very point like i've never heard of that movie like just looking like the the it's like the legitimately like she's hearing about i believe that she's never heard of tron you know because like she barely remembers that she was in marvel movies so like i mean could have been in the Tron movies, and then she would be like, oh, what is that? That's ah a good pick for number 10, though. I have it ah at my 13.
00:51:37
Speaker
i My girlfriend hated it. I walked out feeling like it was pretty good. We almost got in an argument over the movie. But ah yeah, I liked Marty Supreme a lot. Because you didn't condemn Marty's actions enough? You didn't?
00:51:53
Speaker
You just couldn't stop hustling ah ping pong racket. It's outside of. Yeah, it looks fun to hustle people. Like, I'm not saying to like lie, cheat and steal. But like when he's out there with Tyler, the creator, they have great chemistry, by the way. Oh, yeah. I should just stay there. that I would watch the whole movie, like a whole movie with that no movie of them just bullshitting around like that's do that.
00:52:16
Speaker
Yeah, that scene when they're hustling at that ah like ping pong hall or whatever, the bowling alley that has also ping pong there. Yeah. That scene was just electric. I didn't know Tyler Creator could even act at that level, but he's incredible in that scene.
00:52:32
Speaker
Right. Like acting wise, I just think of ah of him like purely comedy. ah But yeah, this is like he he had great. come And when the when they're just like basically ghost riding the car and jumping out of it and then dancing with the dog and in in the back, like that's all that. That shit was so good.
00:52:50
Speaker
yeah also shout out i didn't realize but okay i'm ah i'm almost finished with with sorry we've been on on this one for for a bit but pen gillette was the farmer like because like there's all these like you know they do stunt casting and stuff i was like okay there's director abel you know ferrera is the the guy with the dog And, you know, the Camilleria curse. But then I did not. clo There was something about that farmer besides him just being scary as fuck. Like that farm has the most haunted vibes ever. But then it was like, oh, it's fucking Penn Jillette.
00:53:24
Speaker
Crazy libertarian himself. ah Completely unrecognizable in it. He didn't even know he was in a movie. He just they came onto his farm. He said that that was his dog.
00:53:36
Speaker
Got between him and his dog for sure. the The only thing I wanted to throw in there because I hint, hint, we may talk about it later. OK. The thing I was going to say was with Tyler, the creator, I've been a big Tyler, creator fan for a long time and not selling Chris Stuckman. But when it comes to his music and what he's been able to do with his music video specifically, ah he's always been filmmaking inclined. Like I'm surprised he hasn't made a movie yet.
00:54:05
Speaker
Like it's it's in his cards. It's just a matter of time. And being able to see him do something like Marty Supreme, it's just like confirmation bias. It's like, yeah, I knew he could do this all along. It's just a matter of time until he did something like this.
00:54:17
Speaker
Yeah, hell so make a movie, Tyler. Balls in your court. TikTok. A good pick for number 10, Doug. Hell yeah. Tony, you're up. Yeah. So my 10 is going to be a Netflix documentary and it's called the perfect neighbor. Um, this is probably one of the most audacious pieces of true crime, uh, media I've ever seen.
00:54:41
Speaker
ah this is amazing work when it comes to like accountability in the storytelling of true crime documentaries. It's a very, It's a hot topic, but I also feel like it's a topic that came and went almost. But I feel like the the reckoning with what like actually going over these kinds of stories and what it means to do these things, I feel like in this realm of true crime itself, it hasn't been properly reckoned with. And a movie like The Perfect Neighbor gets so close, if not reaches the point where a new breakthrough comes. And the reason I say that is because this movie is ah designed around the police body camera footage um surrounding the days leading up to an event. And I'm kind of being vague about what happens in the movie um because like obviously it was a big news story, but if you don't know what it is, I feel like it's best to go in blind. um
00:55:33
Speaker
When you hear that the film is told through the police cams, there's a part of you that may brace and think to yourself, how exploitative is this going to be? um How much are the police going to be depicted as the good guys? And I can tell you right now that like, if, if you're worried about any of that stuff, it's not going to go down those routes. The only scene that I'll spoil to kind of like get people to, you know, maybe watch this is after the event that happens, there's a 15 minute chunk in this movie where you just see the, the, the neighbors and the family just immediately reacting to that event. And it's, it's one of the most,
00:56:12
Speaker
like heart-wrenching things you'll watch this year. And it's probably like like one of the best moments of filmmaking you'll get. um And it doesn't feel exploitative in any sense. And in fact, it does something that many true crime stories don't do, which is put the victims forward. And in in a way that was more dignified than a lot of these stories ever do. So yeah, everyone should watch this movie. It's very special movie.
00:56:34
Speaker
And especially if you're a fan of true crime or found footage films, because it flips both of those genres on their head. that's a good pick tony i actually got to watch that one too and ah the moment you're talking about without giving anything away i was just a wreck it it's a pretty powerful piece of filmmaking uh this documentary and i'm gonna feel good after watching it that's what saying yes oh yeah for sure yeah you're gonna do cartwheels after It feels almost like required viewing at this point, but yeah, it's a very powerful documentary.
00:57:10
Speaker
i Yeah, I really need to see it. I've only heard great things. My number nine movie is a movie that everybody was totally chill about online at the time of its release. It's a Celine Song's Materialists. Look, there. I'm not going to pay $25 to park this piece of shit for an hour. That's the cheapest we'll ever get. We'll find street parking on the next block. John, it's been 20 minutes. I'll just pay for it. You're not paying.
00:57:37
Speaker
Like I said earlier, we're going have to forfeit the reservation if we're more than 15 minutes late, and then they charge us a cancellation fee of $25 per person. Wait, are you fucking serious? I told you this like 10 times. That's extortion. We agreed that we would to nice restaurants on our anniversary. There's no nice places in New York City that won't charge you 50 bucks if you're a couple minutes late. Why did we even bring the car? Yes, it's my fault. My rehearsal ran long. Major point. could just called a car. So we could spend $50 to get into the city and then another $200 at the restaurant. Why do you have a car if you can't pay for it, John? Look, right there. $20 for 40 minutes? What the fuck is this math? I don't want to fight about money with my boyfriend on our anniversary. It makes me feel like my parents. I'm sorry, okay? We'll park the next garage we see.
00:58:20
Speaker
What are you doing? Lucy. Where the fuck are you going? Hey, I'm sorry, all right? Hell yeah. Hell yeah how yeah. How could they say such a thing? Broke by.
00:58:34
Speaker
oh yeah her have you seen have you seen that nick like her reading like review like it was like letterbox reviews or something and it like one i'm saying that's broke boy propaganda and then celine song is like no she's like getting a moat like actually having a a like sincere reaction to to to that ah like joke review she's just like no it's not broke boy propaganda ah Yeah, I ah have some thoughts about you know why people some people might dislike this movie, but I won't get too much into that. Well, we did an episode about to touch on some of those.
00:59:14
Speaker
ah People can go listen to the episode. um this ah This is a movie I connected with a lot. Between this and past lives, I really like what's on Celine Song's mind and how she thinks about love. I put that in my Letterboxd review for this movie, actually.
00:59:31
Speaker
Some parts of this movie don't completely work for me, but I'm able to kind of forgive... ah those things because of what the movie amounts to and what it had to say just really made an impression on me. um I see a lot of myself in each character for better or for worse.
00:59:50
Speaker
And I felt like after watching this, I've been able to kind of like Look at myself in a certain way. Look at love and relationships. And honestly, like the way money plays a role into relationships and how we can ah behave because of money.
01:00:13
Speaker
um And I feel like I've been able to kind of like do some self-reflecting after watching this and grow from this movie. um I just really appreciated this movie's perspective. And in a way I felt pretty seen by it. And i I'm really on board with Celine Song and what she's doing. I know people have criticized her as a writer and maybe that's fair criticism. um But I just like the voice she has.
01:00:46
Speaker
or ah I like what she has to say in the voice that she is as a filmmaker a lot. um I also do like the performances in this movie, too. I think Dakota Johnson especially is, like, very strong. She's had two, like, very good performances. And, I mean, people say she can't act. I disagree with that, like, totally. I mean, yeah, because that and Splitsville are very different. She's in a different register for... i i think the the specific...
01:01:12
Speaker
thing she's doing earn what the movie's doing with like how they talk about relationships is definitely that's an immediately putting some audience at like, you know, going to push people away if they don't want to lock into that because yeah, it's not,
01:01:29
Speaker
ah it's it's kind of abrasive, but ah I'm glad that it resonated with you to such a degree. I wish Celine Song could like, see see she needs to be listening. Are you listening, Celine? This is your number one fan.
01:01:44
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And, I mean, I feel like a lot of the criticism has been from a very, like, vocal minority, remember maybe, because this movie doesn't have, like, terrible reviews. It's just the people who don't like it really don't like it, it seems like.
01:02:03
Speaker
I feel like people miss sight of what she was trying to do with the film, which was to make a James L. Brooks movie. And hey, a James L. Brooks movie came out this year, Ella McKay, right? And you can watch that movie and you can say, hey, wow, look, all of the problems that are in the materialists are also in Ella McKay. And the thing is, is that but both movies or both ah filmmakers, I should say,
01:02:25
Speaker
They're approaching um the messiness of life and they're not so concerned with like the the general like established like Hollywood tropes that are enforced to make Hollywood like to make messy lifestyles depicted on screen. Like even when you think about like the classic James L. Brooks stuff, there is hearkening back to convention, but all of it's upending those things to try to make them feel more organic. And with materialists, it's like, I didn't think it was entirely successful, but I do think that people were far too harsh on her in the sense that she was trying to do something and she was expressing it earnestly. And the of the reaction that was inspired by the film did reek of, you know,
01:03:08
Speaker
you know, people were just kind of harping on her because she was a woman telling the story. I feel like almost like i that's the impression I got a little sexist and racist, maybe 100%. When you have people like coming up with like nicknames and and saying like they shouldn't like ever make movies again. And they're supposed to be like serious film critics who are saying these things. I'm like, you're giving the game away, man.
01:03:30
Speaker
Like this is not what movies are about, right? Like movies are about like hearing people's perspectives. And even if you they don't do it a hundred percent successfully, it's about understanding what they were trying to accomplish and at least seeing if that idea was worthy. And I think that materialist is absolutely worthy.
01:03:45
Speaker
Yeah, how I agree. Yeah. And so that's my number nine. I'm glad I got to talk about it some more. I get came in a little hot on the episode we did on it. And maybe I came in a little hot there. But ah I don't know. i I feel like strongly about this movie. And I'm glad I was able to make room for it in the 10.
01:04:05
Speaker
No, I mean, i'm glad you did we watch these things to feel, know, heartbreak feels good in a place like this. So that's why it's it' what it's all about. Anything that can make us feel that that deeply is is worth merit in my books.
01:04:20
Speaker
Uh, so is it's on me and my number nine. Okay. Everybody sh be quiet. Can you simmer down? Let's just slow. Let's just slow it down. Let's go slow.
01:04:33
Speaker
Okay. Cause, cause we're about to talk the mastermind and it's, it's not, that movie is a no rush to get anywhere. So let's just kind of just settle in. We're just going to wait around a little bit. don't want you staying here anymore after tonight.
01:04:49
Speaker
I'm serious. And don't call me there. I don't want you talking to Fred at all. want you to leave us alone, okay?
01:05:12
Speaker
pretty rough mod. I know. i saw so many people complaining. Like, apparently there were walkouts like ah when this was in theaters. I wish I had seen this in a theater, especially with people who walked out during it because I don't even consider it boring. Like, it's just it is very deliberately paced.
01:05:29
Speaker
But I don't think it's people said it's like a nothing happens movie. i was like, no, Kelly Reichardt just made like a slow Coen Brothers movie. It's like Coen Brothers movie where like it's not in any rush. And then the crime happens and then you're mostly just kind of dealing with like the fallout of like. logistics of like, yeah, what would that mean? Like, how is that? What does all these steps entail? Like, what's the process of that? And how many different ways you can fuck it up?
01:05:59
Speaker
And Joshua Connor, he's man, what a year because he's so good and wake up dead man. But maybe it's just me loving like a pathetic, pathetic Weasley guy that him in this is so he's he He is like a a he's he's kind of on Marty's supreme game, you know, in terms of like using people and kind of just like weaseling his way. But the way he does it is almost more sinister because he's like so soft spoke, you know, like like Marty is like a type A personality, you know, who's going to, you know, go at go at the thing directly. Whereas Josh O'Connor in this is kind of just meek. Like he never like raises his the most he gets like he is asking his son to open his room and he's like, I command you to open this door.
01:06:46
Speaker
You know, like that's the most he has to say. That's like the most he can do. to To kind of go back to what you were saying about how people were upset about this movie or didn't like it as much, right? I feel like this is like a ah repeat of what happened with um the Meeks cutoff, if you've ever seen that movie, where a lot of people went into that one expecting like a traditional Western. And what they got was a reflexive meditation on the Western. And in many ways, the mastermind is a reflexive like meditation on the heist movie. And and the mastermind itself, like i love that, like the the title is obviously like kind of a jab that somebody throws at Josh O'Connor and how a mastermind themselves are always so close to the edge, I feel right. And this is what this movie shows so well, is that like he he thinks that he has everything sorted out, everything has got its fine place. And then all it takes is one thread to be pulled and it all comes falling down.
01:07:39
Speaker
And even when it starts coming falling down, he's still acting like he can talk his way out of it, which is like uncomfortable, but also a joy. I love like scenes and performances like that. Like when it's stuff like like him having to call Lana Haim and ask for ah money, like when he's on the road. So good. Like, oh, man. Like, it's the situation where he thinks his old tricks can work again, right? He thinks that, oh, I can keep doing the things that I was doing before, and I can keep getting away with this because at least these people see the And specifically to have her ask his mom for money. Oh, my God. He's so pathetic that he needs to borrow money from his mom to do crime.
01:08:22
Speaker
After his mom abandoned him. After his mother was literally like, get out of my life, you deadbeat. Right. And, and like, when she says that you're going like, I feel bad for you, Josh O'Connor, but also damn right. Get out of your life. You know, he's, he's bringing nothing but trouble. And, and it's, it's also speaks to the failure of like what a mastermind is, right? Like the people who, you know, are considered masterminds, right. Or, see themselves that way, right? They get away scot-free, but in the process of doing so, they leave so many bodies, right? Like, they they leave so many destroyed lives in the process. And this is, like, kind of the only way that people can get retribution is when they are revealed to be the frauds they are.
01:09:04
Speaker
And speaking of, you know, on that topic, like, I think... a lot of period things sometimes just feel like aesthetic exercises like ah this movie set 1970 but like it actually kind of mattered like Vietnam War and protests about that are actually pretty important like I'd i'd say yes like literally at the plot at the end it's it's important but like thematically i I think it ties into all of it so like I yeah I just like when movie is able to use its its setting in that way
01:09:39
Speaker
Have you seen it, Nick? No, that's one I still need to see. I was like right about to say that. um Yeah, Josh O'Connor, man. Where did he come from? Was it Challengers that really put him in this position? like This dude's like had a great run of movies.
01:09:54
Speaker
It's like this, like I've seen people post clips. Apparently, he was on Peaky Blinders like a cup for some episodes. I don't know. Peaky Blinders.
01:10:05
Speaker
He also played Prince. He was saying that in the clip. He was like, Peaky Blinders. That's just he walks into every audition. He's like, pay gay blind, isn't it? He also played Prince Andrew on the Queen. i just think that's really funny to throw. Yeah, I'm just throwing that out there. Yep.
01:10:21
Speaker
I think that that was actually the thing that kind of broke him out, to be honest. So like, I mean, that was popular. Exactly right. Like huge stars are on that show. So it makes sense. ah But like at the one, two punch of challengers and Camara from that year, which also very similar to the mastermind is about an art thief. he He's got his lane. he He's like a new Elliot Gould.
01:10:43
Speaker
And they, and they know that in the master mastermind, the suits they're putting him in are straight up. Like, Oh, I've seen Gould, Elliot Gould and that fit. Like they know, they know what they're doing.
01:10:55
Speaker
Although I've never seen... We're not stupid. Ellie Gould plays dopey, like, sure, but, like, I don't know if I've ever seen him be as pathetic as Josh O'Connor. Like, that's the thing that is so special about the performance. It's like, you're just a little worm, dude.
01:11:10
Speaker
And that's what I like in a guy when they're a little worm. the I think you've got to check out Lurker then. there Our lead is very wormy in that one, too. Yeah, I just the reason I was mute for a little bit is I wanted to combat the Elliot Gould comment you just made, which was total slander. He has totally played pathetic well before in the movie called Little Monsters. You must. I need to see that.
01:11:35
Speaker
Very good. Okay, so I stand corrected.
01:11:40
Speaker
That was the most um actually I've ever been in my life. just just Just wanted to get that on record. I'm not usually like that. um ah Should we do number nine for for me? Yeah, do it Yes, let's do it. um So. ah Kiss of the Spider Woman is my number nine. Oh shit. Enter, Paulina Baz.
01:12:01
Speaker
Long nose, bushy brows, and eyes as dull as two wrapped caramels. Everyone thinks she's beautiful, but she doesn't hold a candle to Aurora. Her only advantage is her youth, which she wields like a machete.
01:12:12
Speaker
It's obvious from the way she greets Armando that they were once an item, and that she still carries a torch. Paulina makes a big show of being gracious to Aurora. I adore this moment.
01:12:25
Speaker
Aurora shows that stupid stuck up girl what real class looks like. that This is ah I love, love, love a good old fashioned musical. And what i hate about recent movies is that we've gotten so many like ah reinterpretations or modernizations in terms of the craft applied to the musical. And they just have gotten it completely wrong in terms of how you actually are supposed to make a musical. Kiss of the Spider Woman is a total return to form in terms of like how you actually craft a musical, as well as having its own political and and deeper thematically themes who wants to get down to.
01:13:03
Speaker
um Also, it's a great film in terms of queer representation. um This movie at its heart is about ah the trans identity while also being paired with the Argentinian dirty war, which targeted ah socialists and leftists. Diego Luna plays like ah the dirtiest, filthiest communist you'll ever see. And Jennifer Lopez really steals the show as the titular spider woman. She's a fictional ah Sorry. So she's ah an actress. She's playing an actress who played a character in a movie. And rather than us like getting to know that character, we only get to know that character through the prism of ah our protagonist, which is played by ah Tona Tiu. I don't know how to pronounce that. ah but that's the trans woman in this film um everybody i just listened to those three performances they're all amazing they all deserve awards buzz and uh when it comes to just seeing a goddamn musical with actually good music in it really hard not to recommend this one yeah i gotta see this one i was so close to seeing it in theaters and right when you mentioned i'm like fuck i wish i could have seen it so i could chime in about this one but uh
01:14:13
Speaker
Yeah, i I'm a big fan of movie musicals, and I i think you just sealed. like You just did it for me. I'm going to go probably rent this thing or see where it's streaming and check it out.
01:14:28
Speaker
It's an Amazon Prime movie. What did you say? and so It's an Amazon Prime movie. Oh, it's on Prime. Okay. Cool. So I could re-watch at any time then. Hell yeah. Shout out to Amazon, the best company in the world, maybe? Company with with no problems. Yeah. Jeffrey Epstein affiliate Jeff Bezos. Shout out.
01:14:48
Speaker
I mean, Jeffs have to stick together, you know? That's how it works. Yeah, i mean, the two-day shipping does come in handy around Christmas time, though, you know?
Controversial Topics & Film Associations
01:14:58
Speaker
Yeah, like obviously all the like the Jeffrey Epstein stuff is really bad, but like have you ever considered that maybe they were just there because they wanted to hang out with Woody Allen?
01:15:06
Speaker
They're just fans. Yeah, that makes sense. ah ah Jeff Bezos is just like a rational man. We have to talk.
01:15:16
Speaker
Hell yeah, good pick for number nine.
Mixed Feelings on 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
01:15:18
Speaker
ah My number eight, I don't know if this is going to stir up controversy or not now. I'm a little scared to say it. um But ah Avatar, Fire, and Ash is my number and eight. Hell yeah.
01:15:32
Speaker
um then and and ah You know, I've heard people say this movie is just the way of water. Well, luckily for me, I don't really remember much of the way of water, so this felt pretty damn fresh. I was like, oh, they're doing new things with Avatar now. but It's finally. think there's plenty of new shit in here. I mean, yeah it's you know like a continuation, yeah.
01:15:56
Speaker
And sometimes an iteration, like, oh, you like the talking whales? There's more of them. Yeah, Wrang wasn't in the last one. a lot of people aren't talking about her enough, actually. for For how much people are talking about her, they're not talking about her enough. That's the weird thing. Right. It's like, we should this should be the only thing we're talking about. She's kind of getting overlooked by other stuff, and it's a little unfair. But...
01:16:21
Speaker
um I don't know. This movie, I was going in in a little bit of a bad mood. i was just like, I don't want to sit through three hours, 15 minutes. Even though Wave Water made my top 10 of that year, too, I didn't have much of a memory. I was like, I know I liked it, but what is it? with like I don't know if I'm going to
Critique of 'Spider' Performance
01:16:40
Speaker
like this one.
01:16:40
Speaker
And This movie has major issues. I can't get on board with the spider performance and like the idea of the character is cool, but the performance just really doesn't work for me.
01:16:54
Speaker
No shit!
01:16:58
Speaker
Goddamn, this movie was such... I gotta go take a piss, Mr. Sully! This movie was such a blast at the theater. I enjoyed almost every second of it, not including Spider.
01:17:11
Speaker
And it was just, I don't know.
Visual Elements & Future 'Avatar' Movies
01:17:15
Speaker
the The spectacle, it just seems so obvious, the things to point at. But my God, this thing is just a wonderful creation. Even if the story is not the strongest, even if the characters aren't the strongest, I was just in awe.
01:17:33
Speaker
Almost every second, the high frame rate stuff, I finally get what people are talking about a bit. um It didn't fully work for me, but I don't think it deserves like as much negative attention as it's getting. The moments don't didn't take away from the movie that much for me. But I, I don't know. It just, from beginning to end, I was just in awe. I was like, this thing's incredible visually. And I just can't deny it that it's like one of just the best times I had at a theater. I was just from moment to moment, just blown away at what I was looking at. There's a power to these things. Uh, I,
01:18:12
Speaker
I don't know what the next Avatar movies are going to look like. I don't know if people... All courage. All the time. That's what I'm that's why i'm hoping. Oops, all courage. Just stop. a They're like, they forget about the Solis news. Like, let's just see what this guy is up to.
01:18:29
Speaker
i I hope story-wise they maybe just do a bit more, lean into the weirder shit. This movie kind of chickens out of some shit that I really didn't want it to chicken out of.
Realism in 'Avatar' Worldbuilding
01:18:42
Speaker
And... i I don't know, but at the end of the day, it's just I was just blown away because of just the visuals. As just easy as it is to say that about an Avatar movie, I fall hook, line, and sinker for it every time they put one of these things in theaters, and it just works for me. And also, Varang, Varang, Varang. I just wanted to say her name a couple more times. that it's not just eye candy because like cameron actually considered and the you know the whole animation effects team like the crazy work they do there like all those creatures are designed with like a function within the ecosystem of like oh what would they actually do if living on this one so that's why it feels so it's not just the that the effects look so good it's that this feels like a a fully considered world It does. yeah it feels like you can walk through the theater screen right into the movie. And I'm going to say that later about a different movie we'll be talking about, but and in a very different way. But also the fight scenes, like all of the action in this Avatar movie, just from the moment the action starts to the moment it ends, I'm just locked in like, holy fuck, this is so cool. This blows away. Like,
01:20:04
Speaker
I wish Marvel or any like big block, no blockbuster action really seems like it's operating on this entertaining of a level. It just kind of seems like they're like, yeah, you'll take whatever action Slap will give in you.
01:20:17
Speaker
Yeah, that's good enough. You pig. Yeah, it and it feels like it's all approached with that attitude, but not these Avatar fight scenes. It feels like they're actually like very thoughtfully planned out.
01:20:29
Speaker
But yeah, that's Avatar, Fire, and Ash. Vrang, hell yeah, Vrang. Hot piece of ass, maybe. old Woman of the year. First female president.
01:20:39
Speaker
um Yeah. I'm going write her in. Yeah, I think we all should. I have still not seen this movie. ah I will remain commentless on this film, but I'm excited to watch it when I do watch it.
Defense of Jack Champion's Performance
01:20:55
Speaker
But the spider comment that you made there, you know, I am arachnophobic. So that's what's the only thing that's giving me pause.
01:21:02
Speaker
Well, all the stuff around him is interesting. It's just, I'll say in defense of Jack champion, is he good in this? No, but this was that those parts were filmed like a while ago. And like, he was in a movie that I almost shot it out beforehand. Freaky tales, like as, as he looks now, like, you know, adult Jack champion. And he seems like a much more natural, like relaxed actor.
01:21:30
Speaker
Um, so I'm curious to see if that translates. Cause there's, I think it'd be a time jump at some point in three or in four. So like if maybe, maybe spider will be good then, you know, I'm, I'm just, you know, putting all the stock in that, that will pay off. And I mean, it has, he's paid off on some other shit
Appreciation of 'The Phoenician Scheme'
01:21:50
Speaker
that you'd think like wouldn't work like casting Sigourney Weaver to play a teenager a teenage like Anakin Skywalker like're like like oh okay works yeah but uh that's my number eight pick hell yeah well my number eight is the Phoenician scheme I could go ahead and turn back into my normal self right now if you like it's not that different from how you see me already
01:22:41
Speaker
See what i mean? Basically the same person.
01:22:46
Speaker
No, you're different. I mean, i saw this in the summer. This came out early in in the year, but like it's been on my mind and, you know, like near the top of my list for like a lot of the year. Like I'm, I'm a, I'm, I'm a Wes Anderson fan, but I'm a really big fan of like this current run where it's not just like, he's like unapologetically tripling down on his style. While at the same time, I feel like pushing the limits of like,
01:23:17
Speaker
what can you apply my thing to? Like, he's still going to do a story about, you know, like some, ah you know, distant father and, you know, so drama with that or something, but you can like, Oh, what if there's like spy intrigue here? And like, you know, inter international capers and they're going, going around and doing like, there's like fight scenes near the end of this where it like, like dips into like,
01:23:46
Speaker
like silent movie style effects and stuff. Like, it's like all these like crazy reference points where I feel like that he's not the, like the criticism that he just does the same thing every time I think is, is like just not true because he, he is pushing like at least within his,
01:24:05
Speaker
tool set like what what he can do and just emotionally just this worked for me i don't know like yeah any good like you know uh father daughter or stuff just like father son stuff and in movies can can can get to me and um the actress playing his daughter ah Benicio, this is just a great year for him. I just got to say, like, shouting him out. Like, I'm glad that, like, he was in French Dispatch, but if he's, like, just part of the ah West sta stable now, like, I'm totally fine with that because he fucking rocks in in this... ah
01:24:42
Speaker
ah Mia trip Tripleton, that's um Kate Winslet's daughter, that plays Benicio's daughter in it. she's I think this is her first role. She's she's really good. And then Michael Cera. lady from Avatar? Yeah. ah Who held her breath under wire for Halloween? She was in blue in the Phoenician scheme.
01:25:03
Speaker
Well, du that's just on her mom's side. Yeah.
01:25:10
Speaker
ah Michael Cera is such like obvious casting in a Wes Anderson movie. You're like, Oh, maybe he just never did that before. Cause that's too on the nose. But then you see the performance and you're like, no, actually I love this. Give me more of this because without, without,
01:25:27
Speaker
Give it well, you'll hear it in the clip, but it's like, oh, his performance a performance like like ah where he there's a there's a moment where he's like, yeah, I can. He does this German accent and he's like, oh, I can I can switch it to my real self if that will help. And then he goes and walks into a corner. You hear some shuffling, zipping. His hair looks completely different. got like a cigarette in his mouth. Looks kind of cool. He's like, yeah, I'm pretty much the same. Yeah.
01:25:52
Speaker
look Like that that wasn't a complete put on that it was like close to his real personality and like yeah I don't know that I I adore this movie.
01:26:04
Speaker
It's a great return to the standard genre affair that Wes Anderson was doing before, but also with the same tools that he's learned with these like examinations he's been doing with like the fresh French dispatch and asteroid city. So, so to dig deep into deeper into that, it's like, I feel like he's, you know, playing with the structure of what these kinds of movies are.
01:26:28
Speaker
And he's a lot more analytical with it rather than just like simple kids. he's playing with the idea of story itself you know like he was doing that asteroid city too if like who's telling the story like who i you know and like what how does that reflect back on like what we're seeing like yeah it gets it gets it's metatextual in a way that i actually enjoy even if yeah is it up its own ass i don't know sure but i want to be up that ass
01:26:59
Speaker
Hell yeah, that was a good pick for number eight. Tony, I think you're up. Let's do it. My number eight is 28 Years Now...
01:27:11
Speaker
This was a movie that I was looking forward to the moment it was announced.
Praise for '28 Years Now'
01:27:17
Speaker
I was like, you know, scouring the internet for any kind of updates or whatever.
01:27:22
Speaker
ah Danny Boyle is one of my guys, and I'm so glad that he's back in a big way. and when I say that, I mean, he is experimenting with the form, just like he was back in like the 90s or in 2000s again. and it's just great to see, man. It's great to see it like him, like caring and putting together something that not only feels inventive for like current day Danny Boyle, but this also ranks among like some of his best work ever. This is a fantastic ah evolution of what a zombie movie can be by kind of incorporating young adult fiction and making it kind of a coming of age story.
01:27:59
Speaker
um I think that Alex Garland wrote the best screenplay of like his the past 15 years of his career. Just an incredible return to form in his regard and also a far more politically savvy film than it leads lent like it leads on to. um Ultimately, i found all of like the...
01:28:18
Speaker
emotional mother-son stuff um closer to the third act of the film paired with Ralph Fiennes performance. That's what really makes this movie special beyond just like ah an above average zombie movie. And also the iPhone photography doesn't just feel like a gimmick. It feels like it's integrated into what this story means. And I really hope that we see more films that challenge the form in ways like this one in major films. I mean, this straight up is one of the best looking movies of the year, like in a in a world where movies like this were not ignored awards. why I mean, there would also be like acting consideration for like what, like you said, like, or you know, maybe it's small role, but Ray fine support. Jodie Comer, though, is really good in a in a role that could easily.
01:29:06
Speaker
be weird or like not work you know like like the fact that that all holds together is a testament yeah to the direction and and her character is is compellingly written but like you need someone who can actually like sell that because it's like such a specific thing uh that she's she nails it Yeah, that's a great pick for your number eight. I really enjoyed that movie. It was in my top 10 for most of the year. Right now it's at number 16, but I love the 28 movies. I'll even like defend 28 weeks a little bit just...
01:29:44
Speaker
I'm a sucker for even a bad zombie movie. um Zombies were my intro into horror. 28 Days was one of the first zombie movies I ever saw. And I think 28 Years is a great continuation and just like expansion on the world building that I don't think anyone like...
01:30:06
Speaker
really would have saw coming I mean if you're tapped into Alex Garland and like what he's doing I think you could have seen it coming but just like any Joe Schmo watching these movies I don't think could have seen the awesome evolution that we saw from 28 to 28 years yeah Without a doubt. and and And I'll back you up on the 28 weeks later, love. I feel like the first like five, 10 minutes of that movie, that's like one of the best pieces of zombie filmmaking to
Recommendation of 'Bring Her Back'
01:30:35
Speaker
date, right? Like that's i love what I think about when I think about zombies. Yeah, it's a great opening.
01:30:39
Speaker
Yeah, the the part the part where it loses me is just less interesting when the dad turned because like i the the the drama of like them knowing that he was lying is like really compelling and it doesn't really mean anything once he's just a bloodthirsty, like he's going to kill you. you know like It's not like...
01:31:03
Speaker
they cant they can't have an uncomfortable conversation about it now because he's a monster. So, ah yeah. that i But I also do like some of the kills that he does like when he turns. So, like it's dumb it's tricky.
01:31:19
Speaker
It's a give and take. yeah Hell yeah, good pick. Up next, my number seven. Okay, so my number seven is Bring Her Back from the oh the Talk To Me Brothers. I think that's their name. The Talk To Me Brothers. Talk To Me 1 and Talk To Me, I think is how they I think it's Talk To Me.
01:31:40
Speaker
ah But ah Bring Her Back. Yeah, man, this was a horror movie that... I just saw and was completely blown away by, these guys are doing shit that sticks with you. I was just sitting in my seat, just fucking uncomfortable in my own skin. like it was It's just... What they're doing with horror is super effective, at at least for me. And I had covered this movie for my podcast, Morbid Curiosities. And when I went to rewatch this thing, I still felt scared and uncomfortable, like it was my first time watching it. And horror movies don't really have much of an effect on me.
01:32:25
Speaker
Nowadays, I feel like I've become... like pretty desensitized at this point they need to have a good story to keep me hooked because the gore and the intensity just isn't enough but this movie did shit that like lives in my brain forever and shit that I get afraid to put on and I recommend this to people with caution because i don't think it's for everybody but i mean if you want to see some pretty gnarly upsetting shit uh this is the movie to watch i don't think it's as good as talk to me talk to me is a very special movie for me i have a pretty personal talk to me i definitely have have a higher uh but
01:33:09
Speaker
bring They're good at making it feel unsafe, like to what you're talking about. that Like they, their things are scary in a way that like, at least in American, like horror like a lot of that doesn't feel scary in the same way of like you kind of know what you're getting but like with with this stuff uh it's yeah it it it does feel like kind of anything could happen like the guardrails have been taken away and that's you know that's a good place for horror to exist Yeah, I have a pretty personal connection to talk to me, I'd say. But bringing her back is just one where I'm like, man, these guys know how to create something that's deeply upsetting and will live in your head. And i I look forward to the next thing they do, even if it's not horror. They just, they know how to make something that's really going to stick with you, how to make a fucking crazy visual image. And, uh...
01:34:09
Speaker
and They also seem like they're fucking maniacs in real life, too, so good for them. But, ah yeah, that's my number seven is Bring Her Back. That's a good pick. I don't know if this is crazy to say, but if Auntie Weapons can be considered for, like, ah you know, awards, um like Sally Hawkins.
01:34:30
Speaker
What? Oh, i thought you were going to say Oliver, the little boy. No. Sally Hawkins. I think Sally Hawkins is like giving us the same tier performance as a Gladys from, from what, because I, have i I really like, i I love weapons. Weapons was in my top 10 for a long time, but i that I am ah not befuddled by like the, why I like, I like that performance, but like why that is getting in like awards conversation. It's like, Oh, do we just, because we like this actress, is that why or. Yeah, Sally Hawkins has been one of my favorite actresses since The Shape of Water. That's what really did it for me. And I kind of feel like she should have beat Frances McDormand that year, especially since she was going to win another Oscar. but She fucked a fish, man. Give her the Oscar.
01:35:16
Speaker
yeah That's what I was going to say. like that's that She should have won four fucking the fish, right? but like i feel like How many fish has Frances McDormand fucked? None that we know of. Probably a few. Maybe. Depends on how you look at Joel Cohen. who Let's not even get started about Ethan Cohen.
01:35:37
Speaker
Fish brothers over here. Always smelling like fish around these guys. Yeah. Bring her back. Great movie. Yeah, I think you're up, Doug.
01:35:48
Speaker
Okay, my number seven is Cloud. I've already said a lot about this movie. Not on this feed, actually, because me and Tony, yeah, about it for so long. think it was like five hours that I ended up uploading it on another feed. So you can check out, what was it called? Someone Cooked Here. Yeah, that was it. That was it.
01:36:11
Speaker
long episode on on cloud. And I mean, because this movie ah rocks my socks. um Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Kier, Pulse, if you know his deal, ah this is kind of it does feel like a companion movie to pulse in a lot of ways. And I feel like we talked about, we had to have talked about it cause we went for five hours. So like, I assume we, we touched on this, but like that, you know, pulse is like pre the internet really taking off, but that's like, Oh, the internet has, you know, isolated us, turned us into the ghosts. And then now,
01:36:50
Speaker
cloud is like, no, this is like a standardized place where like commerce takes place, but it's also the the way the world ends. Like it it feels there's like an apocalyptic feeling to this movie that I didn't expect about a guy who's like, and this i I mean, hey, have I made some money by flipping stuff on on eBay? Sure. But, you know, i don't sell the fakes or whatever he was doing. He's doing it at a crazy level. And but i don't know, maybe if I had the kind of help that he had, I could have his hustle. Like if I had an assistant like he did.
01:37:27
Speaker
Yeah, i'll I'll just say this now. Cloud is my number six. So um this movie fucking rules. I didn't know that I was going to like it so much. But um yeah, I just thought this movie was exciting from beginning to end the whole time. Like you said, it's a Coen Brothers movie. I think you had said that, right? it does feel if i i feel like i keep saying that too much about everything but it does it does have no elements of that especially like like once the because that image of the uh like guy with the bag mask it was so haunting in the like the i think it was like a poster for the movie i was like what's going to be the context for that and like that character is actually pretty goofy but yeah the the like
01:38:14
Speaker
context around in which all that's happening is the disturbing part it's like it's like why they're gathering and going after this guy that that's like oh yeah echo everything you said about that movie and i didn't catch if you had mentioned like this movie does have a pretty awesome shootout in it that lasts for a pretty long time it's like the last 30 minutes of the movie or something or 20 maybe maybe least 20 right like It reminded me of Cuckoo little bit, a movie that came out last year, I think.
01:38:49
Speaker
Yeah, that shootout's not as long, but that having a surprise last act shootout was a delight. And it's always nice when you can subvert genres like that.
01:39:00
Speaker
Cloud rules. This movie, I just want to echo everything you said, and then I'll just kind of like skip my turn a little bit when we get to six. Okay. All I'll say about Cloud is stay tuned, Twitter world. To quote OJ Simpson.
01:39:17
Speaker
Is
01:39:20
Speaker
that an OJ quote? don't know. Yeah, he's on like a golf cart or something. He's like, stay tuned, Twitter world. And he drives away. Oh, okay. When you joined Twitter? ye I was writing many like essays about some of the movies in my top 10 just so I could go in with something, to say especially because it's been a while since I've seen some of these. And Cloud was one of the ones where I didn't get a chance to write anything down for. So I was little disappointed. I'm like, man, I don't know if I'll be able to do this movie justice, but I'm glad that it's on other people's lists and it's getting talked about.
01:39:57
Speaker
Yeah, and it's on Criterion now, right? You can stream it because it wasn't easy before. Yeah, that's watched it. Yeah, but now it's it's it's on Criterion. so It's getting a physical release from Criterion too, I'm Deserves it.
01:40:11
Speaker
Yeah, that's pretty cool. um Kiyoshi Kurosawa, I think that's his name. um he He does great work. i still have to see Pulse, but I love Cure and I like Cloud even more, honestly. Cloud was just exhilarating.
01:40:25
Speaker
Yeah, I think you'll really like Pulse. does kind of feel like a like a twin film to Cloud in some way. Not like literally in terms of like what they're... But like thematically, there's overlap.
01:40:37
Speaker
All right, you're number seven, Tony? Yeah, I'll make it quick considering ah this is a movie that's already been brought up, but this is The Mastermind, ah Kelly Reichardt's film. And ah with this movie, sickos are have logged in.
01:40:57
Speaker
Slow cinema enjoyers are here. if you If you don't like slow cinema, get the hell out. Where are you such a rush to get to? Like, sit your ass down, marinate in the movie.
01:41:09
Speaker
you're on reichert's island right now you can't get off so anyways this this movie is phenomenal as well and it's uh what i love about it uh is obviously kelly reichert uh approaches gender in a very particular way with her films uh specifically with the women in her films they're often uh stuck or trapped or aimless within a world that's not quite built for them And then the men are seen as even more insane than an insane person would usually be depicted because they somehow can't succeed within a world that should supposedly be built for them. And the mastermind perfectly exemplifies that in this guy who's an art thief where everything goes wrong and crumbles down. Obviously, we've talked about Josh Conner many times on this podcast, and he's having a hell of a year because he's playing this like uncertainty with this mixture of a charm. And in Wake Up Dead Man, it's about that charm prevailing. And in The Mastermind, it's about it failing. And I preferred it when it was failing, largely because it's so entertaining and and the heist is actually thrilling. And i don't get why people think this is ah a slow or dull movie. I found it utterly compelling.
01:42:20
Speaker
There's stuff happening. There's a lot that happens, actually. I love it. ah There are so many character actors who pop up for like one scene and disappear. um And and the the slow drip feed of this guy's life is just getting more and more pathetic. I really loved it. And also, I loved how how well composed it was. The framing in this film was incredible.
01:42:41
Speaker
Everyone should watch it. It felt so intentional. Yeah. It's like every camera set up of like what information she's showing us and when and like every movement is so deliberate. Like there's that one.
01:42:52
Speaker
it feels weird to even call it an argument between Josh O'Connor and his wife, Alana. Is it Haim or Haim? I think it's Heim, yeah. Heim. Yeah, the the like that they're in an argument, but she's not saying anything. and like that's that dynamic and like that the way she plays that. so like She can even do that wordlessly because like they kind of repeat that beat when he calls her again towards towards the end. so but But just like the way the camera moves when they're in in that bedroom is like so deliberate. It's kind of just...
01:43:25
Speaker
speaks to the whole movie where it's like yes this is going to be like very deliberate with everything you're seeing and hearing and soundtrack rules it looks and sounds great hell yeah good choice for uh number seven
01:43:40
Speaker
um my number six was cloud so i mean you already heard uh brief thoughts on it go check it out streaming on the criterion channel um doug what's your number six My number six is Eddington. Pew, pew, pew, pew.
01:43:54
Speaker
Oh, yeah. i You're being manipulated.
01:44:00
Speaker
if If you value life, think twice because we like guns here in Eddington. That's my attempt at a Joaquin impersonation. Uh, but, uh, yeah, this movie, uh, I've seen this as, uh, as a praise and a critique of the movies that it captures 2020 so well. And some people say as a negative, like I already lived that, like, you don't need to just like show that to me again. Like, what do you have any commentary on it? i think the commentary on it is like, it's still happening. You know, like we're living Eddington now we live, like the movie became,
01:44:38
Speaker
immediately became more and more relevant of like, just because of everything that's happened last year. it So like, I, I don't know, it's probably only going to increase in relevancy because, uh, you know, that's how we do over here in America.
01:44:54
Speaker
So like, yeah, yeah. I don't, I don't think we're going to stop at doing Eddington type shit anytime soon. So this movie will only be, be more and more relevant. I mean, it's, uh, it's, uh,
01:45:06
Speaker
like if you need a movie that's going to like sit you down and like comfortably walk you through of like, okay, you're going to see ah the per some people who are not good in, in some viewpoints that we are not,
01:45:19
Speaker
you know, aligned with yours or maybe even the filmmaker, you know, like if you're that, if you need to be like coddled and stuff, like if you're just a little baby, maybe Eddington's out. Get the hell out But i've i I kind of liked that. It's the messiness and uncleanliness of it. Cause I've even seen in the wake of it, people were trying to do reads of it to kind of like,
01:45:44
Speaker
smooth over like what the message is politically. I'm like, they let it be a little messy and shaggy. Like, i don't know, like that kind of is better. That's what, that's what our political reality is. I'm glad you put this in your top 10. I love this movie.
01:46:02
Speaker
Eddington is one that I, it's one that lived with me after I walked out of the theater that I felt like got better and better in my mind. And I've rewatched it since.
01:46:12
Speaker
And just grew to like it even more. I think it's a movie that is going to age like a fine wine. I think as time goes on, people are going to reevaluate this movie and really appreciate what it's doing. But ah yeah I thought Eddington was great. Maybe my second favorite Ari Aster film. he's doing great work with Joaquin. Like they're, they're of great pairing and it almost feels like uh, you know, it's not one for one, but you know how like Bruce Campbell so clearly, or Sam Raimi so clearly loved to torture Bruce Campbell or really any of his actors on set, but just especially Bruce. But it's like, you like Ari Aster loves writing Joaquin Phoenix into like the most uncomfortable, like destroy, so you know, like soul crushing scenario. Like his characters are like, uh, nightly, even if he like lives in the end, it's like going to be the worst outcome ah for him. And I love that.
01:47:11
Speaker
I think that the way I view Eddington is as the most effective rage bait of 2025. That movie was just meant to make people upset and misinterpret it Triggered? and like yeah Exactly. Triggered. Exactly. And ah I think it was very successful in that. And and what you were alluding to there, Nick, about how this movie will age ah you know and how people will come to it over the years.
01:47:34
Speaker
I think you're absolutely right. I think that if anything, people will look back on Eddington and almost see it as quaint and in comparison to where things will go. Right. And that's just the nature of how any, you know, historical film is made. You know, if a movie was set in the 70s and, you know, is crafted around what the identity of the 70s were going back to it even 50 years later. You know, it still can feel vital in those ways because of the specificities. Eddington really nails that.
01:48:00
Speaker
Great choice, Doug. Thank you. Tony, you're number six. My number six is weapons. I don't see anything whatsoever that points to that woman. What do you see that I don't?
01:48:12
Speaker
I see something that I don't understand at all. We're talking about 17 kids in one classroom and none of them talked about it. We got how many parents in here and none of us saw it coming?
01:48:27
Speaker
I want to know what happened in that classroom. Why just her classroom? Why only her? Now, youfu this is probably um my favorite horror. Yes, it is. It's my favorite horror movie of the year. And I say that because I also think this is like Like um it's only grown since I've seen it the first time and the second time, but I truly think this is like one of the best horror movies of the past decade. I think this is something that people will look back on as like a ah horror, like like this is like ah a milestone in many ways. I think it's it's not because it's reinventing the wheel, it's just because it's putting a new use to different wheels.
01:49:07
Speaker
um I think that ah Zach Prager one ups what he did with the Barbarian. I think that everybody who was brought into this project completely understood the assignment in terms of how ah much to deliver or not deliver. um Amy Madigan, as Gladys, as we've talked about, you know, does she deserve an Oscar? You know, it would be cool she was nominated, but also I don't feel so passionately about it. She's really fun in it. I didn't mean to denigrate her or anything. It's just the phenomena surrounding her. Damn, dude. You're just denigrating her like that?
01:49:44
Speaker
I can't believe it. well What she did to those kids. The audacity, man. It's only fair. it's only fair The twink snapped on your end. and but You guys are taking her the witch's side?
01:49:56
Speaker
Yeah. What I will say about her performance is that like she's in a very similar position as Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. And I do think that she's doing a very particular kind of villainous performance. oh yeah. Where she's also being like the old hag, right? Like she's kind of doing like the Betty Davis, like whatever happened to Baby Jane thing. And the fact that we're getting that kind of imagery, that kind of a threat in a movie that's also about like mass casualty events within schools. I think that's a it's a really potent mix. It's something that's going to reverberate for a long time. Like, I love this movie. It it genuinely got ah a few chills out of me. And from a filmmaking standpoint, it even goes beyond what you would expect from a standard horror film.
01:50:39
Speaker
This is Zach Kregers us. And I mean this in in the highest compliment possible. Like I, I, i don't, not, not that I like, cause I, us is like, of like, i don't know in, in my like top movies of all time, you know, like us is pretty high up there, but like in terms of like, like a step, ah like,
01:51:00
Speaker
not that their first movies like weren't also great, but like the showing kind of just blowing the hinges off the doors of like, Oh, you're willing to do this. Like, that's kind of like the similar, similar through line that I felt between, uh, cause us like to me, like peel is stepping into like a whole new stratosphere and also similarly Craig or here, like I, yeah, barbarians great. Like I've rewatched that a bunch of times, but like, this is,
01:51:25
Speaker
This is a whole new territory. I mean, there is, ah you know, there's some thematic overlap here and there, but he's... he's do This is, you know, i mean, only two movies in won't count Miss March, but, you know, that this is... You're like, oh, okay, you have this in you, so, like, what's what's next? So, like, yeah, it's really exciting to just...
01:51:47
Speaker
Kind of feels like we're right at the ground floor or something big. He could either a Jordan Peele and continue being great or pull a Krasinski and just start being awful again.
01:51:57
Speaker
the Please, no. Please, God, no. The one thing I will say to that Peele and comparison, I think that ah you know there are horror filmmakers, right? And then there are people who use the genre horror to make their stories, right? Jordan Peele is that, obviously, and Weapons proved that Krikers that as well. And also you can understand why monkey pop production wanted to buy this movie because it totally feels in line with what peel is trying to get at with his films. um Now they both and theres something almost like prime more, like I can't even put my finger on it. Like there's something like us to me, maybe I've just always been afraid of doppelgangers, but it's like you're, you're the self is trying to kill you. it you know replaces supplant you. And then also in this, there's the, you know, the imagery of, know,
01:52:44
Speaker
parents going after their child that's like so like that like ah these are just like almost like like base fears you know like you're just like tapping into like the ancient lizard part of my brain from you know You know, i can access all my, all my ancestors memories, you know, in the animus as this essence created showed us, but like, I like when movies allow us to feel that too.
01:53:06
Speaker
Absolutely. Weapons, uh, is a movie that I loved. It's my number 15. It was in my top 10 for a pretty long time, but, uh, the Without and like fully spoiling the movie, I guess mild spoilers for Weapons Ahead, but the like tail end of that movie, the imagery of these kids bursting through windows, just smashing through things... like On a narrative level, i was pretty emotional. But just watching... and like Just being like, this is the only... You can only see this in movies. like I was like, how did they put this together?
01:53:46
Speaker
Just the level of destruction. I hope these kids were okay. It seemed like they were doing some pretty insane shit. But I was like, this is... Cinema. I had a this is cinema moment where I'm like, you can only get this in movies. And it was an incredible experience. And Zach Craig is just doing amazing things. um I know Doug loves the whitest kids, you know, or had an attachment to it. I did, too, throughout like grade school. Yeah.
01:54:14
Speaker
So it's awesome to see this guy win, ah to succeed in a big way and to make something deeply personal to him and just fucking slam dunk, suplex, freakier Friday at the box office.
01:54:28
Speaker
Yeah, fuck Disney. Get the fuck out of here, proactive.
01:54:34
Speaker
Now he's handling IP like all good directors should. I think he's doing Resident Evil or something. I'm actually legit excited to see what he can do with that. His pitch sounds good where it sounds like, oh, you're going to do a Zach Kregger movie that happens to be set in the Resident Evil universe. because it sounds so It's just going to be like the POV of ah the the guy who plays the the junkie. What's was's his name in weapons? ah Shit, the guy who breaks into the house.
01:55:02
Speaker
I forget the the like the name of the character or the actor. Either, but he's going to be in Resident Evil. and like so like that kind of like Austin Abrams? Yeah. so it Even if he's playing a character or so remotely like that, I don't even mean like the same kind of like deal, but in terms of like that they're they're just kind of like teetering on the edge and spiraling, and then a zombie thing is happening also. like that That's actually like a good setup.
01:55:30
Speaker
for a movie. Yeah. and And weapons does often feel like a Resident Evil like movie at times, like when you're getting like the moments of them walking in the backyard and stuff. I'm excited to see what he does next. But I do think that this film in particular, like this is like I feel like this will be seen as like a Texas Chainsaw Massacre or like ah something along those lines. An exorcist. This is one of those kinds of movies.
01:55:53
Speaker
Hell yeah. Great pick. That was your pick, Tony. Indeed it was. Okay. Yeah, cool. Great pick. I couldn't remember. I was like, we all just praised it. It could be any of our picks. Yeah. Mine got, mine went down to 14. That's just from this year being overstuffed. But like, yeah, it was in the 10 for a really long time.
01:56:11
Speaker
Mm-hmm. All right, so we're at five, i think. All right, so my number five is The Ballad of Wallace Island. Woo! Amazing.
01:56:22
Speaker
Directed by James Griffith. This isn't where the gig is. but you're half right. It is where the gig is. Where will the audience be? Oh, no, I'll just, you just concentrate on what you do best, playing your wonderful music.
01:56:37
Speaker
And I'll concentrate on what I do best, sort of sitting on a pallet. I mean, i mean, there's no... How do you... How do you ticket this? Don't worry about that.
01:56:49
Speaker
You said there'd be 100. No. No, no, no, no, no. Well, yeah, you did. No, fair's fair. No, I did not say there'd 100. Yeah, you did. No, I didn't. I said there'd be less than 100. How many less than 100? Well, just as in... As in... Is it just you?
01:57:12
Speaker
I held off on the shout outs because I was like, oh, okay. we're Nick's got us. He's got us covered. Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't help that I have my four favorites of the year as my top four on Letterboxd. So that's kind of a spoiler.
01:57:29
Speaker
But um this clearly got bumped. I did some rearranging. But, uh... just to a really sweet yet like heartbreaking at times movie.
01:57:41
Speaker
It's about this guy who invites this folk duo who used to be together, Maguire and Mortimer. They used to be in a relationship together and have since split because one of them went to do a solo career and it kind of tore them apart.
01:57:59
Speaker
They haven't really seen each other in years and Without going into any details, this movie is funny. It's got so much heart in it. has this sadness to it that I really like gravitated towards. And on top of that, the music is just great. I think this is like, at least for me, a five out of five perfect movie feels like it tailor made for me.
01:58:28
Speaker
I love this thing so much. I've been listening to the music since I had seen it. And, uh, Yeah, I just found it deeply moving and can't recommend it enough. It's in the vein of, like, an Inside Llewyn Davis. A little bit.
01:58:46
Speaker
Yeah, like... Not but I don't know it. No, I get what you're getting at, though, like the the undercurrent of like melancholy that tinges the whole thing. Like I, you know, I walk about a Wallace Island maybe tips more, you know, opt optimistically, but it yeah doesn't all it also doesn't shy away from like showing you the uncomfortable like, you know.
01:59:08
Speaker
um melodrama and all that stuff. I really just like this reckoning with lost love and reckoning with your past in a a deep way um that this movie presents. But yeah, I love this movie.
01:59:23
Speaker
Yeah, when I saw it, I knew, I was like, this is this is like catnip for Nick. This is like, the t this is he's going to love this. i I really like this movie a lot. I think ah Tim Key is still going to, I haven't like made a bracket or list of like my top performances of the year, but his is going to stick with me because he's like such a like funny affable guide normally like it but then do you see the sadness and the pain underneath it like breakthrough in certain moments that's really like there's there's like three times in the movie that i almost cried just from like looking at his eyes i'm just like oh fuck he's gonna cry i'm gonna cry And and he he just doesn't ever want to do any wrong and and he's so well-meaning and you you totally buy it every time with him. and his performance one of the best. You can't get mad at guy like that. Like, it's like, oh, come on.
02:00:20
Speaker
and And he's so cagey about his own personal life and for totally justifiable reasons. To kind of echo the the praise, Nick, like this is ah like the best kinds of these melodramatic musicals is to ah never take the easy route, right? Is to always take the hardest possible narrative choice. And I don't feel like any character has let off the leash at any point. despite this ultimately being an optimistic and feel good movie. It's a really tough, uh, line to walk. Um, some films that I would shout out in comparison to this one would be like begin again, or, uh, before sunset. I feel like it's like you, like an unholy marriage of those two. Um, okay and I, I think that the music specifically in this movie, uh, you said you've been listening to all the time. I feel the exact same way. This
02:01:07
Speaker
the the tracks when they, when you have a movie that's built around songs, they, those tracks need to stand up and they exceed that in this one. I agree. Yeah. Oh man. Fantastic movie. um Let's just go watch it right now.
02:01:21
Speaker
do podcast This is a commentary now. Yeah. um Hey, Jamie, pull it up. Yeah. There's a line in this movie. I wish I remembered it word for word. I always try to reference it with my girlfriend because we both resonated with it. But it's something about...
02:01:41
Speaker
ah the ah What's the main character? The guy who invites them? Herb? Herb. Yet he's sitting there and he's like, ah, now to deal with the inconvenience of breakfast or something along those lines. I'm sorry, charles it's Charles and Herb is the guy who's from the van.
02:02:01
Speaker
Okay, Charles. Yeah, he's kind of just like, it's the beginning of the day, and he's like, oh, now to deal with the inconvenience of breakfast or or the burden of breakfast, something like that. I think about that all the time.
02:02:12
Speaker
and There's just little moment, character moments like that that stick with you. Obviously not enough because I don't remember the line. Yeah. with Which he says that after...
02:02:24
Speaker
Isn't that when he like starts kind of breaking down thinking about his his wife ah when he when they like play for him? And then like he just kind of like doing word salad after that. And he i think he just says, wow, wow, there's in my trousers. So it's like it is funny, but you're still like in your feelings. And that's just this movie where it's like, yeah, you can you can laugh and have a good time, but you're going to feel it.
02:02:48
Speaker
and Yeah. So yeah, that's my number five. I want to just quickly, before we move on, Carrie Mulligan. We should shout her out too. She's amazing in the movie. Yeah. Incredible. Yeah. She is. right, Doug, you're number five.
02:03:00
Speaker
My number five is The Secret Agent.
02:03:05
Speaker
I don't want to give... Because this movie, I went in so blind that like it really enhanced the experience for me because like all i know is the title in a trailer that i vaguely remembered like parts of so i'm like trying to figure out each scene like what the movie is actually about and the movie's playing off that like kind of tension so i i feel like yeah that's just the optimal way is to go in super blind uh it's it's like
02:03:36
Speaker
two and a half hours maybe closer to 240 so it's not short you know it does demand a little bit bit of of patience but i think the payoff is is tremendous and wagner mora i'm putting up there with like the best performances of the year like because i don't know this movie has been getting some buzz like in a world where like i don't know give him a best actor nomination i'd love to see it I just like seeing him look at stuff. I like seeing characters like react to things in their world. And so seeing that he's, he's like really compelling at that.
02:04:14
Speaker
Are you guys still here? yeah Yeah, I was about to chime in. I was going to say I haven't seen this one yet. but Sorry, I thought I'd lost an action. that That's why said No, no. Both but both images are out, so it's it's hard for you to know. It's all good. ah But I was going to say this.
02:04:30
Speaker
I haven't seen it yet, but it does seem like a lot of what could be appreciated about the mastermind could be found in this movie a bit. Would you agree? I would say there's absolutely overlap there. Also thematic, like the setting, it's the seventies. And I'll say politically, there might be some overlap. I mean, like very different settings, even if it's the same time period, but like, I think, yeah, I don't know.
02:04:58
Speaker
There might be some things being said about living in an authoritarian state. And I don't know anyone that could relate to that right now, but you know, it's interesting that they made a movie about it. You guys will have to tell me about it sometime.
02:05:10
Speaker
the I wouldn't know. im i live in the land of the free, in case you haven't heard. Meanwhile, would live under marked i live I live under Karl Marx Carney.
02:05:26
Speaker
What if Karl Marx was like Karl from The Simpsons? Hey, Homer. It'd be chill, you know? i feel like more people would be able to get behind it, you know? I feel like the propaganda wouldn't work anymore.
02:05:39
Speaker
Right, you can't make it look like bad because it's car it's yeah Carl. it's Carl. Everyone likes Carl. aum So that that was the secret agent? yeah was the Yeah, that was my Carl impression, but then also i was i was talking about the secret agent.
02:05:55
Speaker
I still need to see the secret agent. ah That, The Mastermind, I think that's the name of that one, and then ah Sentimental Value, those three got away from me this year. Yeah, I mean, there's there's definitely some blind spots in here I'm going to be filling in.
02:06:10
Speaker
For sure. One thing about 2025 catching up is like I always like say I make my final list in like February. you know But at the same time, this is like I don't feel like ah we're doing it too early right now. I feel like a lot of the movies that we're shouting at right now, they're going to end up in very close spots by the end. Right, yeah.
02:06:28
Speaker
This feels, this feels, if not definitive, but like, like this is, you know, very close to it. Yeah. Feels official. All right. On that note. Yes.
02:06:39
Speaker
ah One battle after another. who Ready or not. Here we are. ah So I won't like go too crazy on, you know, delving into it in case, you know, it comes up later. But what I will say is that the, you know, the hype, the praise, all that stuff. It's all earned, baby. This movie rules. Not only does it rule as like a, you know, kick up your feet and enjoy some popcorn cinema. This also works in terms of like actually having something to say about living in America.
02:07:10
Speaker
in these current times is this movie going to be you know like super radical is this going to be you know super progressive not entirely but it does get to the heart of what most well-meaning people are feeling right now and also is calling out the people who are the direct villains of american society i think it's very bold that paul thomas anderson after decades making period pieces decided to come and make a film of our era and then made the film of the era. It's like a really fantastic stuff.
02:07:44
Speaker
Yeah. and And it earns it too. um I love this movie. um Another one I will watch a million times over. This is going to be a great movie to watch when you're either really drunk or really hungover. This is just going to be like an easy like but it's it's going in the DVD player. i'll I'll watch it on the couch with my ah you know joint holder after Battle of Algiers. Hell yeah. That's called a forty cinema immersion experience.
02:08:10
Speaker
I mean, Bob had a nice setup other than you know the not being able to handle his life. But other than that, he was doing all right. How about those shades? His look is iconic. I don't think enough people are going to dress up for him as Halloween.
02:08:24
Speaker
i feel like... Oh, yeah. Did people already do that? Like this? how Or wait, when did the movie come out? Yeah, it was just it came out in summer and and there were people who did it. But you're right, Nick. Not enough people are doing it and more people should be doing it. This this is the new Big Lebowski. Fucking Ghetto Pat is the new Big Lebowski and we should all adjust accordingly.
02:08:44
Speaker
Yeah, either be Ghetto Pat or be Sensei Sergio. You know, just be like, you know, few small beers. Choose your character. Come on. There's also the secret jungle pussy option, but you gotta have like a lot of a lot of swagger to attain that.
02:09:00
Speaker
No more pussy. Oh, yeah.
02:09:06
Speaker
Hell yeah. That's a great pick. Hell yeah. All right. So we're into the top four now. Top four. Yeah. The final countdown. All right. Might go a little long on this one.
02:09:18
Speaker
I apologize. I have, ah I wrote down, I wrote a bit of an essay about this one earlier, but um let's go. You know, with this list, I've been, I've been picking with my heart movies that have really connected with me and stuck with me.
02:09:35
Speaker
uh for many different reasons but uh my number four pick i'm leading with my heart right now it's uh steven soderbergh's experimental ghost film presence can you elaborate i'm not sure i want to okay maybe you maybe you and me talk later at first i just said it and then things moved moved Yes. What things? A lot of things. I saw it.
02:10:04
Speaker
You saw it? you You saw things move? I saw the the aftermath. And there's a ah a feeling I get, and sometimes it's really, really strong. What what feeling? Athosagoraphobia.
02:10:15
Speaker
I don't think I know that word. What does that mean? It's the fear of being forgotten or ignored, and and I can feel it. It's here, in the house. Oh, for Christ's sake. Seriously, what the fuck? Whoa. I get it that you guys have to listen to this shit, but I don't. You're seeing shit?
02:10:30
Speaker
Are you fucking serious right Hey, hey, hey, no. No, it's fucking ridiculous. This is just another way she's going to make me look like a fucking idiot. You're already crushing that asshole. Guys, come on, let's DS go with this. You fucked me up with your shit last year, but you won't fuck me up this time.
02:10:43
Speaker
Amazing pick. This is inspired. Yeah. i ah I saw it back in January when it originally came out, and it's lingered with me throughout this entire year.
02:10:55
Speaker
I logged it on Letterboxd four times, but I feel like I've watched it. I've just put it on way more than that. I think it's maybe because... Soaport movies are really rewatchable because they're like never usually not that long. It's like 90 100 minutes.
02:11:11
Speaker
Yeah, it is a a breezy watch, but maybe it's because I saw this movie at like an emotional low point and initially watching it kind of felt like a warm hug from Steven Soderbergh a little bit, but... ah Since I saw this movie, whenever I've felt like stressed or I've been in high anxiety situations or have just felt like emotionally low or kind of alone, I've thrown this movie on and it's kind of gotten me to a baseline. Um...
02:11:47
Speaker
I find the experience somewhat meditative, the way this looks and moves. I had done a little bit of research into this, but it was shot with, I think, a Sony A9 III.
02:11:59
Speaker
It's like a full-frame mirrorless camera, and it like... Basically, it allows for simultaneous exposure of all pixels, eliminating distortion and banning issues common with rolling shutter sensors, especially when capturing fast moving subjects or shooting under artificial lights.
02:12:20
Speaker
So like that combined with ah lightweight technology or like lightweight equipment allowed Soderbergh to really just glide with this thing.
02:12:31
Speaker
Yeah, and there's something about the movement of the camera, how wide this looks. I don't know if it's bigger than just most other movies, but this thing looks so huge whenever I watch it. And I feel like I could just, like I said earlier, walk right into...
02:12:47
Speaker
um the screen and not since like strange days, I think, have I seen like a really good POV, really good POV work like this in a movie. I know strange days is a very different application of it, but both movies I've really like locked into the POV.
02:13:04
Speaker
Um, but, uh, Yeah, this movie, I also just find it like pretty inspiring. i It makes me want to just go and shoot more experimental things. Just go around my house and just film things and not even think about narrative first. and just Right.
02:13:26
Speaker
experiment with technology and different cameras and things like that. ah And I just, this is a movie that was just stuck with me in multiple ways and I truly love it. It's one of my favorite movies of the year.
02:13:39
Speaker
i think it's only going to grow with me as time goes on, but right now it's at number four. Maybe it deserves to be number one, but I got it at number four and yeah, I just love this thing.
02:13:52
Speaker
That's a beautiful pick. I love that. ah The final, like, moment of this movie i'm not gonna say what it is but like how lucy lou plays that it like shook i like there was like a physical sensation i had in my chest no i know what you mean sorry no no no i i've i've just like got bouncing off of you where i was just like like i felt gut punches in movies before but like it was like oh is this like bone chilling like what is this feeling the sensation i'm feeling right now No, same exact thing. The final moments of this movie, every hair on my body was standing up. I had a physical reaction and walked out of that the movie feeling a bit chilled.
02:14:35
Speaker
it ah It's so great. I ah had just so many... physical emotional responses to this movie there's some like cheesy acting i think that's easy to well for one character especially but i the movie is so good that i'm just like whatever i'll give you that one And there's a line I think about in this movie all the time where the brother is giving the daughter a hard time and poo-pooing the idea of a ghost and the dad kind of just snaps and is like, there are mysteries in this world, Tyler. I think that's the kid's name. But... And I just like he's like, yeah, sometimes some weird shit will happen. I just say to myself now, like there's mysteries in this world. I know it's so basic, but it's like one where he really drove the point home for me, I guess. But yeah, I love this movie.
02:15:27
Speaker
Yeah, it's great. I thought everyone the cast was great. this is an excellent pick. And I, and I do have to say that I did catch this movie when it premiered at TIFF, uh, in 2024, uh, with Soderbergh there. Right. well And this was like, uh, like it was a situation where I had been watching movies all day. Right. Like I'd watched like queer at 9am and, and I'd watched a movie at midnight madness the night before. So like, When I got to this movie, I was kind of almost half asleep, but I feel like that's kind of the best mode to be in with this movie where it's kind of like almost like working within the subconscious as well, because so much of this is in this free form, as you almost ah said, like experimental, like free flow state.
02:16:06
Speaker
and uh stir of echoes david kept wrote that film as well i'd highly recommend that film as a companion piece with presence i feel like both of those movies uh work really well together i would say like mungo is also a great companion yes to ah like you like nick if you if the the feelings you get i mean i you know won't come at the same point your life so probably won't hit in the same exact way but like the emotional stuff in this movie like Lake Mungo is is that like it's that's the Shyamalan produced thing no no no that's ah I wish that's that's Lake something different but no Lake Mungo is like a Australian or New Zealand it's Australian yeah so Australian nickll I'll put it to you this way Nick it's my favorite horror movie all the time okay so I'm gonna put both of them on the list right now great great great ah time at the movies
02:17:01
Speaker
All right, Doug, you're number four? My number four? I don't want to do your dirty work no more.
02:17:12
Speaker
My number four is one battle after another. i mean, we've talked about this one a lot already, you know, so... um ah Wait, have we? I don't recall.
02:17:24
Speaker
and I don't think it's been mentioned before. the one thing that I do need to add to the conversation is that... i um where It was like, it you know, it's it's on HBO now and, you know, my parents still have like, you know, cable cable where, you know, it plays on a schedule, which is crazy. But like, you know, it came on one night and um I'd already shown it to them. But my my dad was like, yeah, that movie where the lady makes ice sucker dick or something was on.
02:17:52
Speaker
That's great. yeah That's pretty much what happens. That's what happens in the movie. I mean, there's dot, dot, dot. You know, there's a consequence to that.
02:18:05
Speaker
ah And then we see then the good drama unfolds. Yeah, it's it's good shit, man. Few movies are as exciting this year. Agreed. Tony, you're number four.
02:18:16
Speaker
ah My number four, you say, well, I guess that leaves me with no other choice. Very nice. for applause yes ah Sorry, that was awful. Damn, am the only one here who hasn't seen it yet? Damn.
02:18:30
Speaker
You have no other choice but to watch it. I have no other choice. Well, we're going spoil everything. Exactly. With that in mind, we're going to just like take away all of the enjoyment you could have had. No spoilers.
02:18:47
Speaker
This movie is ah similar to Eddington, a very prescient examination of our time, and it does so in a way that only Park Chan-wook can. Similar to his previous films, there's undeniable Hitchcock influence, but also ah there's an unmistakable influence.
02:19:08
Speaker
like his brand of humor where it's just perfectly grim. And there's a very like his mastery over screenwriting and dialogue specifically. This film is very talky um and sometimes people are just like proclaiming how they feel or what their innermost desires are. And sometimes that can feel hacky. But when you build a world like this, and it only feels natural. It feels in line with something like Decision to Leave, but that also so feels in line with his movie I'm a cyborg and that's OK, but that's OK because that film is so much about like the interior lives that people kind of build for themselves to make sense of things. It's also similar to Cloud in that sense. But no other choice does this so phenomenally well. The final five minutes are chilling. Will will stick with me for a while. And just as rich as it is to watch on a thematic level, it's also a really thrilling, entertaining watch. So it's a really high, high recommend.
02:20:08
Speaker
I can't wait to see it. I can't wait for you to see it. I mean, I mean, i think it probably merit its own, the you know, episode. Wink, wink. Yeah. like ah I think that's kind of inevitable.
02:20:24
Speaker
All of the other options that were available before no longer exist. There's no other choice. No other choice. um All right, so on to number three picks. ah I might be breaking the rules a little bit here with this one. It's a holdover from last year's awards season. i wasn't able to catch it in theaters until, I think, like February of this year is when I saw it.
02:20:51
Speaker
But um it's a movie that I just was blown away by when I had seen it originally. It's I'm Still Here. ah it was nominated for Best Picture, I think.
02:21:02
Speaker
felt like maybe it should have won. I loved this movie so much. I, unfortunately, like I'm not, it's not as fresh in my mind as other movies, but there's something that this movie does with the events that happen in your life and just the passage of time and how these events won't necessarily define us, but they stick with us. And I don't know. Just that really stuck with me. And I just think more people should see this if they haven't gotten a chance to see it.
02:21:39
Speaker
It's one, even though it was nominated for some pretty like big awards. I don't really know many people who actually have seen it. I haven't really gotten to talk about it with anybody, but, uh,
02:21:52
Speaker
I really was blown away by this movie. um It brought me to tears by the end of it. And I, yeah, I just think it's ah a great work of art and a great work of storytelling. I unfortunately have not seen this movie, but like I heard so much of the praise, obviously around the lead performance, but this everything about that you just said, i need to watch it. It seems like up my alley. Yeah, it's so great. um I recommend it to anybody. Just if you love film, if you're a film fan, which I assume if you're listening to this, you probably are.
02:22:25
Speaker
ah it's It's just incredible. i Yeah, I loved it. I wish I had more to say about it. It deserves more, but this movie's great. Check it out. It speaks for itself.
02:22:37
Speaker
Hell yeah. All right, Doug? Doug, I believe you are muted. Your microphone's off. Oh, shit.
02:22:48
Speaker
I picked poor Robin clean. picked poor Robin clean. I picked his head. picked his feet. I voted I picked his body, but I wasn't fit to eat. My number three is Sinners.
02:23:00
Speaker
This movie is a... so I don't even have words. i just lost... my My brain just melted for a second because I started thinking about how good that scene is.
02:23:13
Speaker
ah This movie fucking rules. It rocks my socks. ah Yeah, I feel like I've talked about this on on other episodes, but it's just...
02:23:24
Speaker
it's really impressive that you can do something at the blockbuster level and like have it still feel so personal like like when i've had a time when ryan coogler said it was his most personal film i was like really the vampire like 1920s thing and then when you watch it you're like oh okay like that actually tracks um and yeah there's it's just as an audiovisual experience fucking sick and i the performances like miles can where they find this kid like i or you know i could see it being like no one else will figure out how to use him in quite a way but also he has such ah a voice like that he's gonna have a career at least in like you know singing because like
02:24:12
Speaker
the guy uh he's got pipes and yeah um i'm i'm i yeah i could i could talk about this movie like all day but i i won't because i've i've already yapped about it a lot other other times and places but it's it means a lot to me on uh yeah i i If you haven't seen it for some reason, like you sick fuck, like, i don't know, just go see it.
02:24:38
Speaker
If you're like, oh horror, I don't normally do horror. This is really horror. I mean, there's vampires in it, you know, so like that's horror, but like you're not going to get scared. let It could easily be somebody's first horror movie, I think. It would work as a good gateway into horror. I think so. Because it's like got kind of...
02:25:02
Speaker
intense stuff if you're not like acclimated to that but it's also not like there's nothing like terrifying in this yeah period piece there's like musical numbers basically is terrifying Yeah, it, uh, this feels like right up there with one one battle after another, it feels like one of the most important movies of the year. It feels like a good representation of 2025.
02:25:31
Speaker
Aside from fucking when Demon Slayer was in theaters, I've never seen a theater more packed than when Sinners was in theaters. Demon Slayer just beat it by a little. That theater was packed up the ass for that movie, but, uh,
02:25:44
Speaker
Sinners was a huge moment, and it's I'm glad it's getting like representation on this list. I got to start a drive-in with my girlfriend with like the shittiest lighting.
02:25:54
Speaker
oh damn. And even with that, I mean, the movie was still good. It's still fucked, even with that yeah bad like fucking um light pollution we were dealing with.
02:26:07
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, some movies will just work no matter how much you smear mustard over them or whatever. Good movie is a good movie. I was like, oh, I didn't realize how dark this movie gets in the back half of it. And, you know, Chicago lights don't really um ah match well with that. But it was still like just an awesome experience. I liked it even more, actually, the second time around.
02:26:33
Speaker
Hell yeah. Absolutely. This one was ji just outside of the top 12 for me. Because you're racist. You're all racist. Exactly. Yes. Yes. You found it out. You activated the trap card. Yeah. This was number 17 for me. Yeah. Which is still like- Y'all clan?
02:26:52
Speaker
Four and a half to five star movies in that bunch. My top 20 is really like almost all five star movies. I feel like you have to go down to almost close to 30 where you just get to like four stars. like I have 93 movies logged from this year and people are like sinners at 17. It's like, yeah, I didn't put it at like 80. Like it's still a five star movie.
02:27:16
Speaker
Absolutely. and and And to build off of that, right? Like, while I feel like ah weapons was like kind of like the exorcist, I feel like in many ways, sinners is also that but not even for horror in general. I feel like it's just another one of those like, cultural landmark movies for this year. This is going to be when they write the history books about this year, sinners is going to be like on the title page of it.
02:27:37
Speaker
Right. And it deserves it because it was this completely sleeper hit that also manages to like be this novelistic examination of what America is. um I love this movie because it taps into the kind of commentary that we don't really see in terms of like America's history, especially on the you know blockbuster scale.
02:28:01
Speaker
And also like Michael B. Jordan, we haven't even talked about him. He's phenomenal and is a complete movie star. Yeah, yeah i agree. is a capital S star.
02:28:12
Speaker
I mean, the the the movie doesn't ah have the same impact or the get the same amount of people get going out to see it without him. And each brother is different. Like, like, I'm glad they color coded. So I don't, you know, I'm i'm dumb so I can, you know, get confused easily. So but, you know. The actual characteristic, and like you notice the little details on rewatches between them. It's like, oh smoke can't roll, Stack has to roll his ah um cigarettes for him, and then later he doesn't have the Stack to roll him, and he can't roll his cigarette.
02:28:48
Speaker
Oh, so hard.
02:28:52
Speaker
Oh, my God. Beautifully put. That's awesome. Tony, your number three pick? Actually, I think that this is a great pick to talk about in comparison and alongside with Sinners. Marty Supreme, baby. Bruh, I know I'm not getting paid. When I lose, you get nothing. And by the way, I wonder going to get home because you're not getting on my plane. It doesn't matter, okay? Unless you're planning on shutting down the event, we got nothing to discuss.
02:29:13
Speaker
You think it's that simple? Yeah, I do. Let me explain to you. I was born in 1601. I'm a vampire. I've been around forever.
02:29:24
Speaker
I've met many Marty Mousers over the centuries. Some of them crossed me. Some weren't straight. They weren't honest. And those are the ones that are still here. You go out and win that game. You're going to be here forever, too. You'll never be happy. You will never be happy. Oh, nice. I didn't think I was going to love this movie as much as I did. When I watched it, I was like...
02:29:44
Speaker
eh, you know, Smashing Machine was kind of whatever. It's been a while since Uncut Gems. Like, let's see what's what's going on with Josh Safdie. And if you were to tell me that I would like a Josh Safdie movie more than I would have liked the PTA movie this year, i would have called you crazy. But yeah lo and behold, here we are. And I think it totally earns it. I think that ah Marty Supreme is not just like a fun movie about ping pong. I think it's like also like...
02:30:10
Speaker
A crazy examination on America post World War Two, the the pastiche of the 80s onto the 50s, as it's a film made in the 2020s. All of that stuff is very on purpose. And the anachronisms don't feel like distractions. They feel totally earned. Um, we've talked about the ensemble a lot already. I think that everybody nails it specifically Gwyneth Paltrow. Um, she comes out of nowhere and she's able to sell this, like this role that we've seen a million times and the way that I've never seen it before.
02:30:45
Speaker
Um, obviously to me is great in it. Um, but I think that a lot of the film strengths do lie in its construction. And again, similar to sinners, it, this feels like a novel. This feels like I picked this up somewhere. It's got that old book smell to it and, uh, watching it gives me the same serotonin I get when i and find myself in those positions. I love this movie, uh, so much, uh, it's going to devastate people. People are going to get the wrong messages from it, but I think it's great.
02:31:13
Speaker
The wrong message, you mean like that Marty's great and we should be like him? Yeah, like i yeah totally. This is going to like a new Fight Club. This is going to be like all that. No, but he's he's good. He's my friend. So what did he do wrong? Name name name one thing.
02:31:31
Speaker
talk Talk to that guy at the shoe store, okay? Like he he doesn't like Marty. He knows the real Marty. Okay, were crimes committed? What's a crime, you know? It's like so relative.
02:31:43
Speaker
what What's $700 anyways? they He owed it to them. That's justified. so um See, that's the power of a movie where you can get in, even though you know the character's like a little weasel, you're like, he's kind of the right here. It's almost like a Larry David-y thing where it's like, you're starting these problems yourself, but also I do see where you're coming from a little bit.
02:32:10
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah, Marty Supreme. ah Like I think I said this already, it was my number 13, Just Missed the 12. So um great movie, though. ah Because you're a racist. Yeah.
02:32:24
Speaker
it Can't win either way. Yeah. um Yeah, my number three or number two? Number two? Yeah. Yeah.
02:32:35
Speaker
My number two movie of the year is where it gets crazy, I think. Begonia. can we have a dialogue please don't call in dialogue this isn't death of a salesman okay can we talk please or are you are you just gonna we don't need to talk yes okay because i know exactly what you're going to say You're going to say that I'm in some kind of internet-induced, auto-hypnotic feedback loop in gatekeepers and and norms and all that weak, hegemonic horseshit. But that is precisely the limp-dick rhetoric that you've been instructed to counter the human insurgency with. That's the fucking hyper-normalized dialectic... by which you've convinced seven and a half billion people that they're not your captives, to keep us believing in these fucking false, institutional fucking shibboleths.
02:33:27
Speaker
You mean shibboleths? That's what I said. You said... Yeah, whatever. Sorry. Woo! Oh,
Influence of Yorgos Lanthimos Films
02:33:37
Speaker
shit. All right, we're gonna do a whole hour on this now.
02:33:42
Speaker
I've been a fan of Yorgos since, um so but like 2016, I really got into movies, just like started delving headfirst, watching as much as I could, and I was put onto this movie called Dog Tooth and I watched it on Crackle with ads and I remember that was like a big game changer for me. It helped shape um the taste of movies that I have today. It opened my door to like really weird and deeply upsetting thing, like subject matter and just how it could be used to tell a narrative. And
02:34:23
Speaker
After that, I checked out The Lobster, and after like buying The Lobster on Blu-ray, i was like, I'm going to just check out this everything this dude puts out in theaters. Now we're here at Begonia, and I don't know if I'd say it's my favorite Yorgos movie, but god damn it. Yeah, i know it's a remake, but it feels so through and through Yorgos.
02:34:47
Speaker
just So the performance Emma Stone gives, the performance Jesse Plemons gives, they're just- great their powerhouse is in my opinion emma Stone the autistic cousin is it this is his first role I believe or is is it yeah his name is Aiden Delbiss I think him and I thought he was great he was great I love seeing him on screen especially somebody who like I have people who are on the spectrum in my family and it It was just really cool, and it didn't feel like the movie was making fun of him. And then Stavros... Halkos. I just call him Stavi. Yeah.
02:35:27
Speaker
He was great. The combination of all of those guys with Yorgos' just tone really worked for me. And then this movie just being fucking bug nuts wild. I was just... I found...
02:35:44
Speaker
the dialogue riveting i found every part of this thing riveting i walked out on such a high and then they were giving out free begonia shirts when i walked out and i got a shirt that does not fit me it is basically a blanket and it's like paper thin but uh so down to zero stars then that would be my review the shirt it doesn't fit Yeah, it just, this movie is one hell of an entertaining experience, and I just found it so engaging. I could have sat there and watched another hour of this. I was just waiting to see where it goes. it
02:36:23
Speaker
It really worked for me, and by the end, I just kind of wanted to clap. I was just like, great time, Yorgos provides me. He always does this for me. leaves me walking out, feeling...
02:36:34
Speaker
Something and this was no difference. um I I loved begonia. Yeah, hell yeah. Well, Tony you yeah no i don't rebutal no i like i like started up too much Shit right now no No, no, no, no, no. So, uh, what, what I will say is like, I am a, I am a big Lanthimos fan. I just felt like, uh, in comparison to the original film, uh, that this is a remake of, it kind of muddies what the original intention was, uh, That all being said, you know like I'm a big fan of what he's doing. you know And while I think that this is probably like one of his lesser efforts in my eyes, um I still really appreciate what he's attempting to do, what he is trying to say. And I would much rather watch like a million Lanthimos films than, like I don't know, another Ghostbusters.
02:37:27
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair. Lanthimos should do the next Ghostbusters. Coming from someone who's not that big of a fan of Ghostbusters, like yeah, totally. I agree with that. That's ah that's a good measuring field. And I'm the biggest Ghostbusters fan here, and i and I agree with that too. Fuck that franchise.
02:37:47
Speaker
ah They should reboot it with Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. Have they tried Paul Rudd? Oh, wait I think you're onto something. put Paul Rudd in Yorgos movie.
02:37:59
Speaker
He's busy with Avengers Doomsday, guys. he can't He doesn't have the time. He doesn't have the time. He did Death of a Unicorn. He's got the time. Yeah, he did Anaconda. He's got the time.
02:38:12
Speaker
I think if Jesse Plemons is in a Ghostbusters movie, what they should do is they should, instead of doing an all-woman Ghostbusters, they should do an all Matt Damon lookalike Ghostbusters. So you just get all of the actors who kind of look like Matt Damon, not Matt Damon himself, just people who look like Matt Damon in a Ghostbusters movie.
02:38:29
Speaker
Maybe Matt Damon has a cameo at the end. Sure. like Or he's the ghost. He's the final boss. He's like, he's like you know, the gozer of it. Yeah, exactly. He's the steep up marshmallow. It's just a giant Matt Damon. Yeah, exactly. Stomping through the city.
02:38:46
Speaker
That feels necessary. um That'd be good for the culture. Yeah, I just think they're they're a great combo, like Emma Stone and Plemons and Yorgos. loved... the ah all They should be because some kind of throuple should be formed between the three of them. I don't know they're married, but they should all ditch their spouses and or just be a couple Or work out an arrangement, you know? now they're getting in the way. I'm sticking up for my boy Plemons. He's with ah Kirsten Dunst, right? You don't walk out on that. Bring her into the fold.
02:39:18
Speaker
Yeah, she could Get her into Yorgos. That sounds good. She killed it in Roofman. Gotta say, best part of Roofman. I still gotta see Roofman. fantastic movie.
02:39:31
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
Unique Take on Zombie Genre in '28 Years Later'
02:39:32
Speaker
Yeah, Doug, your number two? ah My number two is 28 Years Later. i had this in my ah top... ah so I had other movies ahead of this for a long time, like Sinners, one day after another, but like the 28 years has kind of just like lingered and persisted in a way that ah those other two didn't. and not Not that those haven't lingered, because i you know I rewatch and think about those movies all the time, but just kind of like...
02:40:02
Speaker
The ideas and the emotions from the movie are like, just like kind of leave a not a taint on you, but they leave a mark, you know, where it's like, oh, I'm gonna, you know, the, the, the final moments with the Jodie Comer in this and the just gentle manner of Ray Fiennes. It, it,
02:40:21
Speaker
all that is like so, so unique. And like, I can't think of any other zombie thing that's done anything remotely like that. And the fact that, yeah, they're still coming up with, with new ways for this genre that did feel like it was a little, you know, like, all right guys, we've been, I mean, walking dead didn't do it any favors. I think that, that, that, that show just ran everything into the ground. And so like, but now, you know, ah Danny boils back to undo that damage.
02:40:51
Speaker
Hell yeah. a Bone Temple. Gonna be coming out soon. Let's hope that makes the top 10. We're going to the Bone Temple in two weeks. I don't care how much it costs us.
02:41:03
Speaker
That's a good bit. That's a good bit. Hell yeah.
Reflection on Current Times in 'Cloud'
02:41:09
Speaker
Great number two pick. um Tony, your number two? My number two pick is Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cloud. We brought it up several times. That and one battle after another, those are only two ah consistent overlaps.
02:41:27
Speaker
I don't want to spoil what may or may not happen later. ah therere the What I will say about ah this film, ah not to go too deep in it because you guys have already said so much great things about it, but I think similar to... um No other choice. This one does a great job in terms of reflecting ah the way things are now, but not just that. It goes a step beyond that to say how evil everything is. Obviously, there's the feeling of, you know, the world is ending, but it also feels like the characters are actively in hell and that not only are their actions like...
02:42:04
Speaker
crazy but they feel like mythical they feel otherworldly and and uh kurosawa said that this was supposed to be an action film this still does feel like a horror film through and through i i love this movie because um it gets uh the psychology of the time without trying to like beat it down you know i feel like there's there's often this like kind of detachment people take when it comes to commenting upon technology this film understands that technology is an extension of people that's all i wanted to say great movie awesome yeah all right that brings us to number one so
02:42:40
Speaker
capital um pa but but My number one movie is Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice. Oh. Had to do it to him. I really got to see this shit.
02:42:54
Speaker
I love this movie. Yeah, it's one that I've thought about almost every day since I've seen it. I feel... in a way, like, seen by this movie. I don't want to spoil anything. i Actually, a lot of what I was going to say will involve spoilers, so I'll try to tiptoe around that.
02:43:14
Speaker
But I just... What this says about, like... us as people and what we give to just these workforces and how much power they have over us and how they can take everything we have away. It just...
Commentary on Power Dynamics in 'No Other Choice'
02:43:35
Speaker
I felt really seen by this movie and there are, you know, things that I've talked about in my real life, different ideas where I'm like, how come we're not seeing more of this in the world that this movie kind of explores? And, uh, I was just completely blown away by it. I love it. I'm, so I'm listening to the score. Actually, i have it in regular rotation. um,
02:44:02
Speaker
This movie is just, it's great top to bottom. I love Park Chan-wook, Old Boy. I mean, I know it's not anything new to say but that. I have it in my top, like, 10 movies, I think, at this point. It's at least in the top 15 on my letterbox list, but...
02:44:19
Speaker
I love what Park Chan-wook is doing, and this movie works so hard for me. um I can't wait for you to see it, Doug. I guess I'll have no other choice but to watch it.
02:44:33
Speaker
I like that we're saying the title over and over. feels appropriate. um These guys got juice. There you go. That's good. Was that clear? Was that good? Yeah. That was good. Yeah. Perfect. take um Yeah. This movie was just great. It feels again, one of those ones that almost feels kind of tailor made to me. I can see myself watching this over and over. i don't know why. I just, I loved living in this Park Chan walk world. He, his movies feel so specific and they just work for me so much.
02:45:12
Speaker
Hell yeah. Yeah. but i need to water out I need to watch that and fill in my other Park Chin book blind spots. like I haven't even seen The Handmaiden. so I love that movie. yeah I just re-watched that actually with my girlfriend um the other day. That movie's great.
02:45:27
Speaker
Literally every movie he's made is worth watching. And and that one's certainly a highlight. and and also that goes Even the one written by the prison break guy. Especially the one written by the prison break guy.
02:45:38
Speaker
Stoker. Which one was that? Oh, Stoker. Yeah, Stoker's great. Stoker's amazing. So it was really good movie. ah but But what I was going to say was ah the cinematography, Nick, to what you're getting at with like you wanted to be in this movie, you wanted to live in it. I love how bright and vibrant it is. And yet there's this like arm's length detachment that the audience has always kept at. um ah The only other film I can think of in a modern context that did this as well as this was like Parasite. And you can feel that with especially what they're commenting upon. Yeah, I'm kind of hoping I know like one battle after another is it just seems like the appropriate pick for best picture.
02:46:19
Speaker
But I would really like it for Park Chan-wook to walk away with it. I don't know if he's gotten like a director or a picture nom before, but it would be cool to see him get some acclaim. No, they didn't even nominate like no decision to leave, which was rude. Yeah, that should have been i should have won. Yeah, I'd like to see him there on that stage giving a speech, talking about whatever he wants to talk about.
02:46:44
Speaker
Talk about AI, whatever. How he's for it. Yeah. His AI girlfriend. yeah But yeah, that's my number one. ah Doug, what do you got? What you got for number one?
Moral Dilemmas in Jafar Panahi's Film
02:46:59
Speaker
All right. Well, without further ado, ah yeah my number one is Jafar Panahi, if that's how you say his name. You nailed it.
02:47:11
Speaker
I nailed it? a Hell yeah. ah It was just an accident. I kind of like the secret agent. The the joy of figuring out like what this movie even is is kind of part of it, so I don't want to like tip that away, but...
02:47:25
Speaker
um It just creates a scenario that is obviously like it's drawing from like real things that happen to two people, ah but it also like comes at it in a way where it's it feels so lived in this world and and and the characters feel like if you like movies about characters i know i keep referencing the coen brothers but you know like if you like movies ah about characters trying to do like crime or illegal type stuff and not being that good at or being kind of awkward like this movie has that this movie has moral dilemmas this movie has
02:48:06
Speaker
it's it's got it's got all the things that i want from from movies and and yeah it's um it does ask some some challenging question like i like movies where that puts you in a scenario of like what would you do here like like yeah problem solve your way out of this because the characters have some pretty big problems that they need to to figure out and um Yeah, the the end of this movie, the final shot and moments are so like so seared into my brain that it's going to stay with me for forever. um Yeah, this this movie is an astrophysic. It's my first movie of his that I've seen. I i need to watch his other films because I i was just blown away by it.
02:48:53
Speaker
No, this is ah a great movie. You and I got to see it together, and I will remember that experience, if not for the rest of my life, every time I walk into the bathroom of the AMC River East 21. I've entered that bathroom several times since then, and I have flashbacks to the food poisoning I got moments before the preview started ah for that movie.
02:49:18
Speaker
But even then, that movie's great. Food Poison can't even even ruin it. It can't. It couldn't. And I rewatched it last night, and I was hoping it could make it in my top 10. It fell at number 14, right in between Marty Supreme and Weapons.
02:49:33
Speaker
Because you're racist? Yes, exactly. That's a theme, I think, we found in this episode. The white people are racist on the podcast. We're we're drilling to the truth. of yeah you know we're We're learning today.
02:49:47
Speaker
ah yeah Yeah, this movie is fantastic, though. It was even better the second time around, i thought. it's ah It's a great, unique experience. and ah Without giving anything away, it has an ending that I've thought about often since walking out of that theater and rewatching it last night. I was still just puzzling over it. just it It's a really thought-provoking movie.
02:50:15
Speaker
I enjoyed it quite a bit. Have you seen this one yet, Tony? It is my like most anticipated need to watch this as soon as possible kind of movie. I have the screener of it, but I just haven't watched it yet. It's just like I'm waiting for when I'm in the right mood for it. Right. Not because I don't think I'm not going to like it. In matter of fact, I'm actually a big Jafar Panahi fan. But it's also like one of those movies that I just want to like no distractions. I want to be just in it. yeah it' It'll benefit from that. I'd say that's a good call.
02:50:46
Speaker
Yeah, because seeing it in a theater where it's like I had no other choice but to lock in you know, it kind of kind of helped. it was kind of just an accident. It was just an Maybe.
02:50:58
Speaker
Oh, if I had legs, I'd kick you too. Did I say a movie name? There's a real Avatar, Fire, and Ash right there.
02:51:10
Speaker
But Gonya, I right? but Yeah. it's just yeah no but One thing I will say about Banahi and this film in particular is that with a lot of his films in the past, like he's been a ah constantly under the scrutiny of the Iranian government.
02:51:27
Speaker
And a lot of his films often Oh, what's going on with the Iranian government? Are they like chill? Oh, totally. Yeah, yeah. so Ever since like the 70s, I want to say, they've been just normal and chill. But yeah, no. The the thing is, is ah when it comes to what's going on there and his film work, you actually see what he's able to do on a narrative level evolve with what he's also like... legally capable of doing. And with this film, it's like he secretly made a genre film, which is uncharacteristic from what his other more recent work is. So I'm excited to check it out for that reason alone.
02:52:04
Speaker
He was apparently just sentenced to a year in prison. Uh, Yeah. Fucking sucks. He's he's been he has been like totally like there were there was a time when he had a ban and the government said he could not make movies. Think about that for a second. The government said he couldn't make movies.
02:52:23
Speaker
That's how you know you're fucking good. The government, because if you were a bad filmmaker, they'd be like, I don't care. Do your stupid thing like that. You can't touch us. like But a good move a good filmmaker, like shit, this guy's dangerous.
02:52:37
Speaker
People can start thinking about stuff. He's going to put that Panani press. Roman Blansky comes to mind. He's someone.
02:52:49
Speaker
I'm kidding. Woody Allen, you know, like all the greatest hits. Bill Cosby is a great director. Great filmmaker. Where's he been?
02:52:59
Speaker
Where has he been? Insupporting.
02:53:06
Speaker
Oh, wow. Theo, where's my pudding?
02:53:12
Speaker
The pudding and the jello, all that. Oh, man. That is a great number one, Doug. Hell yeah. ah um Tony, you're up. What's your number one?
02:53:24
Speaker
All right. So similar to Cloud, this is another movie that's been brought up a few times now. And yeah, this is my number one. It's If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You. No, no, no, it's our fault. It isn't fair, but it is our fault. I mean, that's how I see it. That's it. That's what this whole thing is, is our fault. Stop and sit down. No, no, no, no. I don't want to talk about it. I already know it. And I don't have to meet you because I know what you're going to say. I need you sit down. Which she's failed and that I failed because you set us up to fail. No one tries hard if they have a safety net.
02:53:54
Speaker
Nobody. Okay. And you should know that Dr. Spring. You better come back and sit down. Every night until I die. Do not leave that door. And none of this is helping any of us.
02:54:05
Speaker
Oh, I, this is. ah That's surprising. Very cool. Well, I had lost track of if you'd already said it. so I was like, I know it's going to be on Tony's list somewhere. And then i was like, no, he hasn't done it yet. And we kept going. like, i it's number one. It has to be.
02:54:23
Speaker
it's number one because i support women and it's also but when it comes to like what it is ah for me personally what i get the most out of film is perspective driven storytelling and i think better than pretty much any other film i've seen this year this film just puts you in the driver's seat and asks you like can you grab the wheel can you like shift this onto the right track? And the answer is at every turn, not really. And, and like, like I said earlier, like obviously she is a bad mother and it doesn't ah go to great lengths to show all of those things. She doesn't get let off the hook, but then also you understand her because a lot of the things that she does are very human. She's trying to reach out to people. She's trying to be heard and she's trying to like actually make an impact within her immediate life. And she fails at every term. I think that, ah you know, when it comes to other films having more to say about the moment, this film's not going to, you know, be that really. Instead, this film is entirely about its own moment. And I just liked living in in this world, honestly, even though it's so stressful and, you know, comparing it to no other choice and saying that I want to live in this world is maybe kind of weird. But, you know, I do really like the tension. Oh, I can watch. like another hour or two of like seeing her like try and like just juggle everything yeah 100 more therapy session sessions with uh conan o'brien
02:55:47
Speaker
one One person I do want to shout out because we haven't shouted him out yet is Christian Slater. I think that he's like the perfect casting for like the great absentee father. And obviously he's got a great voice. I think that this is just one of those movies where like every little piece comes together to just make the whole thing work. And yeah, I'm just in love with it. I love this movie so much.
02:56:09
Speaker
ah Hell yeah. God, that's a great pick. Great number one, dude. Hell yeah. I'm glad that you guys also had it on your lists because like this is one of those movies that, you know, like I feel like all the other ones we've listed, right? Like No Other Choice or One Battle After Another. These are mammoth movies for for something like this. I was like, you know, I'm glad that this is just like taking the the step. We're in this world now. and And that's what I got out of it most.
02:56:32
Speaker
Because it it has has gotten buzzed earlier on, but like now it doesn't even seem like a sure thing that she'll get nominated, which would be fucked up. When it was in theaters, it was like super buzzy. like This is a big awards contender. and then There are some people I feel like have like fully turned on this movie, though. Every time it seems like there's some buzz around like a woman or something, though, a lot of people go to just tear that down. And that's what I've kind of seen with um if I had legs, I'd kick you. A lot of people when this movie came out just want tear it down. And it's insane to me that like people are kind of just like overlooking it sometimes because it's also like ah Mary Bronson, who made this movie, like she's a co-writing and co-producing partner with the Safdie brothers. And her husband, I believe, had a big part on Marty Supreme. So it's not like this is just like anybody, right? It's similar to Annie Baker situation. is her husband not Josh Safdie?
02:57:29
Speaker
No, no, no. She's she's married to ah something ah ah Bernstein, I believe is their last name. Bronstein. That's it. Bronstein. um So ah her husband is like a co-writer or something on Marty Supreme. And the two of them are like co-producers on a lot of their projects. What I was getting at here is this is like similar to like an Annie Baker situation. And and this this is somebody who was just like on the outside of the industry a little bit. And now they've taken their jump into it.
02:57:57
Speaker
And now that I've seen this, I can't wait to see what Mary does next. I agree. It's a strong, strong movie. Great picks all around, guys. I know I got to dip out of here pretty quickly, but um awesome lists. I think everybody had. We only
Consensus on Top Movie Picks
02:58:12
Speaker
had three movies that I think everybody across the board had. ah Cloud, One Battle After Another. And If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You, I think. Yeah. yeah oh well So those are the best movies of the year. Those should be the best picture nominees right there. I think they should go off of our list because those those are the definitive ones. yeah The common consensus right there.
02:58:33
Speaker
Celine Salon's still listening, right? So like she she must have like somebody that you can like show this to if they're not already listening. For your consideration. Yes, podcast.
02:58:44
Speaker
Exactly. um ah Hell yeah, guys. Awesome. It's been an awesome year for movies. of you guys got any plugs before we
Conclusion & Social Media Handles
02:58:54
Speaker
wrap things up? hi I mean, yeah, everyone knows where to find me. I'm on Twitter at TheDougFiles.
02:59:02
Speaker
Letterboxd TheDougOrNot.com. uh i've been trying to log some more and do my end of year catch-up stuff so it might be stuff that didn't make this list at all you know oh what doug think of that so yeah check that out on there and then on on here we got i i just uploaded like oh a lot of different things last week and so like there was a chair company episode we had a pluribus episode uh there was a wake up dead man and a Man Finds tape episodes. So it's like there's a lot of variety to go around. So just stay tuned on here.
02:59:39
Speaker
Hell yeah. Tony, you got anything? ah Yeah, you can follow me at poor old Rolo Tony on Twitter. um Recent reviews from people who have seen my work. a Disgusting Woke Pig by Jeffrey Wells. And the reason film criticism industry is dying from Sasha Stone. Yeah, that's what you can expect from my profile. Beyond that, nothing much else to, you know, plug.
03:00:04
Speaker
You guys can go check out my horror movie podcast, Morbid Curiosities. Doug was just on there. We talked about Anna and the Apocalypse as a special Christmas episode. Great episode. Tony, if you want to come on you're welcome to come on. We can discuss that in the future.
03:00:20
Speaker
I would do it in a heartbeat. Oh yeah. Let's set something up. And so yeah, listeners go check that out. I did an episode with my girlfriend, Rocia on the newest silent night, deadly night.
03:00:31
Speaker
That's a really fun one. And we got some other stuff coming out. Um, The holidays kind of of threw off the schedule a little bit, but if you go subscribe to that podcast, we'll have some good episodes coming out in 2026.
03:00:45
Speaker
And follow me on Letterboxd at Nicholas Ewers. I post reviews there sometimes. Sometimes I just log them. Plenty of lists. I have ah on this feed actually an episode where I go over my letterboxd year in review. If you guys want to, you know, listen to that, see what that's like. It might be a fun episode. It might be pretty boring. Who knows?
03:01:07
Speaker
nicholas yourws i'm doug danport And I'm And I'm Rollo Tony. And we're... These Guys Got Juice. Have a good night. Good night. We're not racist, we swear!