Podcast #30: The Best of 2011

A year that saw one of the most visionary films of the century will also stand as one of the weakest years in film in our recent history.  However the end of 2011 managed to produce a few gems that we will discuss tonight.  Please join us.

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Podcast #29: The Phantom Menace

Remember how excited you were when "The Phantom Menace" came out?  How long did it take you to detest it as much as you do today?  Cody and I reflect on one of the biggest movie events in our lifetime and the subsequent disappointment that set in the following years.

here is the article that sparked the conversation

here is Red Letter Media's full Phantom Menace Review

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Cody's Film Review: Drive

Drive is a fun and stylish film, but I didn't love it like many of my friends and critics have. This is my fault because I would have liked it more with no expectations, but when I hear  "Oscar worthy" or" Best film of the year" I better see something really original and powerful. It reminded me a bit of 80's Michael Mann, but that was mainly because of the films font, music, and Ryan Gosling's character. Gosling is a quintessential Michael Mann antagonist quiet, tough, and quick to action if pushed. I was more reminded of early Tarantino and Indie action films of the mid 90's that always encompassed a great cast, style, and sharp dialogue. I wouldn't put Drive in the same category of greatness as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, but more like True Romance and better than Tarantino rip offs like 2 Days In the Valley. The cast was good, but besides Gosling the only stand out was Albert Brooks. Every scene with Brooks is captivating and I wanted more scenes like the one between him and Gosling at the restaurant. I really enjoyed the look and pace of the film, but I was also just relieved to see an action film without 100 cuts per minute or shaky cam.I will look forward to Nicolas Refn's future projects because he has great sense of pacing and knows how to shoot an action film correctly. I feel a stronger script would help him immensely and he could add substance to his already established style. Overall I enjoyed Drive, but I felt the film was a little too simple and really lacked originality. I think the film comes off as fresh and unconventional because of all the shit Hollywood has been throwing at us the last 15 years, and basically we all long for films of the 80's. 3.5 out of 5 Stars

You know, for kids.

A recent twitter debate has led me to revisit one of my favorite films as a child and defend it. I have always considered Stand By Me one of the greatest kid's movies of all time. Yes, a kid's movie. I just happened to be that age when it was released, and to me I always appreciated the fact that a movie about 12-year-olds could be written with depth and character and not just fart jokes and fall-downs. It's a coming-of-age film not only for the characters, but for the audience as well.
Our pre-teen years are usually when we start learning those hard life lessons and how to deal with them and move forward: loved ones can die prematurely, parents can be abusive, you will get bullied by older kids...and sometimes the only people that truly understand you are your friends. Each of the four boys in the film carries a heavy issue which ultimately, is their bonding point and the motivation for the story. OK, yes, Vern is mainly there for comic relief, but I'm relying on the fact that he's a fat kid and was probably beat up daily by other kids and was the motivation for Gordies story about “Lard Ass.”
As a viewer and lover of film, even at that age, it's the first adult drama I can remember seeing that was actually aimed at my demographic. I'm not saying you had to be there to appreciate it, but it did help and is a movie I would encourage other kids of that age to see. It's hard to say that I would like it as much if I had never seen it as a kid but I really think I would. It has every element that comprises a quality film and I wish filmmakers would take a mature approach to younger audiences more often.

Read The Movie Anarchist's review here

The Tree of Life (Podcast)

The most anticipated film of not only this year, but the last two as well, is Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. Filmed in 2008 and held out of theaters with distribution problems, we have waited at the opportunity for a mere glimpse of it. Finally, after adverse festival reactions and mainly positive reviews we can now see it for ourselves. One thing is for sure, love it or hate it, it will have a place for discussion amongst this round table for years to come.



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2011 NBA CHAMPS! (Podcast)

Before the 2010-11 NBA season, one would be hard pressed to find a more bitter sports fan than that of the Dallas Mavericks. For over thirty years we have been teased (in every sense of the word) on every level of it's meaning. A good stretch in the mid 80s only led to one conference final and then the humiliating downward spiral of the 90s. The 2000s brought us new ownership and the rise of a legitimate superstar, but the basketball gods saw fit to toy with us for yet another decade leaving the ever-growing bitter taste of defeat we were all getting used to. If you were to bring up the '06 finals to any true fan and you would have still seen the pain of loss in their eyes....yes it still did hurt, and our window was closing. The beginning of the 10-11 season did feel different. For the first time since the early 90s we had a legitimate center and the rest of the machine was working flawlessly. However, big injuries seemed to derail the defensive mentality and by the end of the regular season, it looked like this would be another one and done postseason. Instead, our beloved Mavericks nutted up and played the greatest NBA postseason a fan could imagine. Tonight we take a break from our regular movie based banter and continue to celebrate the greatest basketball season we have ever seen.

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R.I.P. Sidney Lumet (podcast)

Sidney Lumet passed away Saturday Apr. 9 and on this day we pay tribute to one of the great American Filmmakers. Below is Cody's must see list of Lumet films:

Q&A (1990)
Running on Empty (1988)
The Verdict (1982)
Deathtrap (1982)
Prince of the City (1981)
Network (1976)*
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)*
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Serpico (1973)
The Offence (1972)
The Anderson Tapes (1971)
The Hill (1965)*
Fail-Safe (1964)
The Pawnbroker (1964)
Long Day's Journey into night (1962)
12 Angry Men (1957)*

*personal favorite

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Have you seen 'Tetro?' (podcast)

Back in 2009, young Matt Fickel walked into a theater showing the latest film by Francis Ford Coppola, "Tetro," and walked out a changed man. Maybe that's over dramatic but hey, so is "Tetro." In all fairness, Matt has been trying to get us to see the film for months and we all finally got around to it and the following podcast is what occurred. Enjoy. (Major Spoilers)


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R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor

One of the last true heavies from the Hollywood Star System has died. Although Elizabeth Taylor began at the tail end of the failing system she always had a Golden Age star quality about her. She was a bridge between the Golden Age and the Method Age, and she blended in with both. Taylor held her own with William Powell and Spencer Tracy as she did with Montgomery Clift and James Dean. Her career fell off by the late sixties, but she stayed relevant for the rest of her life. Taylor was famous first as a movie star,then her personal life(marriage, health/weight problems, and Richard Burton) and finally as an activist. She was one of the first and easily the most famous person to bring the A.I.D.S. problem into America's households. Elizabeth Taylor was more than a pretty face, she was a great actress with a lot of range. My three favorite performances from her are Giant (1956), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?(1966),solid films that she helps carry.  These are other highlights of her film career that are must sees. National Velvet (1944), Life With Father (1947), Father Of The Bride (1950), A Place In The Sun (1951) one of her best films,but this movie belongs to Monty, Raintree County (1957)another great Liz performance, and Butterfield 8 (1960) not a great film, but she was good enough to win her first of two Oscars for it. Elizabeth Taylor left behind two great legacies, iconic star and trailblazing activist,she was 79.

The Oscars post-game show 2011

What the hell happened this year? Bad writing, horrible skits, and a host that looked as interested as a gay man in the playboy mansion. Hal and Cody take time out of their busy schedules to discuss the worst televised Oscar presentation....ever.


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Below is the rejected "Grease" parody opening number...........thank God.








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