Beyond the Box Office: What's Really Worth Watching in 2025

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The theatrical landscape of 2025 tells a fascinating story through its box office patterns and creative trends. Animation continues its unstoppable theatrical dominance across multiple studios, while long-running franchises like Mission Impossible and Jurassic World show unmistakable signs of fatigue. Has the time come to put these decades-old properties to rest?

Our midyear film roundup reveals a striking preference for original storytelling over franchise continuation. From the breathtaking coastal beauty of Paolo Sorrentino's Parthenope to the inventive shark thrills of Dangerous Animals, our top picks demonstrate cinema's continued ability to surprise and captivate. Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller Black Bag showcases masterful craftsmanship, while Tim Robinson's Friendship brings his distinctive comedic sensibilities to feature length with remarkable success.

The conversation turns passionate when discussing Ryan Coogler's Sinners and Ari Aster's Eddington – films that blend genres with extraordinary confidence while delivering profound thematic depth. Both represent bold, auteur-driven visions that resonated deeply with audiences seeking thoughtful, challenging cinema.

Looking ahead, the remainder of 2025 promises an embarrassment of riches from acclaimed filmmakers including Park Chan-wook, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Jim Jarmusch. Their upcoming works, alongside anticipated releases like Edgar Wright's The Running Man and Blumhouse's Weapons, suggest our year-end lists may undergo significant transformation.

What films have captured your imagination in 2025? Join our conversation about this remarkable year in cinema and share your own discoveries and disappointments. The theatrical experience continues to evolve, but the power of original storytelling remains undiminished.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
how's it?
I'm alex mccauley and I'm maxfosberg.
There he is, and this is excusethe intermission a discussion
show surrounding our favoritefilms of 2025.
Thus far, this year's releaseshave carried some interesting
themes and the box office hascertainly shown trends when it
comes to what folks want to seein theaters currently.
Max and I will dive into that,discuss the highlights and look

(00:32):
forward to the remainder of theyear, which still holds some
heavy hitters.
That conversation up next onthe other side of this break.
All right, Max, it's abeautiful sunny Thursday morning
here in the Pacific Northwest.
It looks like you have yourfair share of sunshine down
there in Los Angeles as well.
How are you doing today?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
You know, there's nothing I love more than a
morning pot.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Whoa, here we go, big start.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Nothing I love more than a morning pot.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
I do know this about you A morning matinee.
How about a morning pot you amorning matinee?
How about a morning podfollowing a morning matinee?
Oh, that would be that'd beabsolutely perfect.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
That's the best living yeah, uh, but yeah, man,
uh, things are good.
Uh, yeah, california's sunny,uh, every day, and so I've I'm
trying to battle the sunlight inmy office here, but, as you can
see, in the left corner or Iguess maybe the right corner, it

(01:34):
depends how you're watching itStage right, yeah, stage right.
Still got some rays coming in,but things are good, things are
good.
Gosh, I can't believe we'rehalfway through the movie year
yeah, and I mean really we're.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
We're at the end of july.
We've seen like seven monthsworth of releases, and now I
think you and I will both admitthat we've probably
procrastinated on some movies.
This last week was able tocircle back and visit a few of
those.
A lot of heavy hitters, as Isaid in the intro, still to come
, and so I we can talk aboutthis at the end, but I don't
expect my top five to look a awhole lot the way it does today,

(02:14):
say in like late december, um,but, but we can get to that once
, once the time comes, I do.
I do sort of want to start bytalking about just the box
office this year, though, andthe themes that we have seen as
far as like big theatricalreleases, because not that many
of of these movies are going tomake our top five lists.

(02:36):
Personally, you know just alittle peek behind the curtain
Max and I keep talking aboutwhen are we going to have to do
an animated films episode,because this year has been
dominated at the box office, andnow you can say that that's not
too big of an outlier, you know, going back to the heydays of
Disney and Pixar and everythingthat's happened in the 21st

(02:58):
century with animation.
But I'm just really impressedthat film after film that comes
out from the different animatedstudios, it's like it's it's an
easy ticket to 400 milliondollars worldwide.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
It seems like these days yeah, the youth love the
theater.
The kids are all right.
I mean, yeah, kids, kid moviesare evergreen.
Much like, maybe, a horrorgenre.
But yeah, animated filmscontinue to dominate, whether

(03:36):
it's 2025 or 2005.
I think kids' entertainmentwill always live on, no matter
what the theater situation lookslike 10 years from now with
some of these other more adultfilms.
Event films are children filmskid films.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
It's very true, and I just love I think I speak for
you too on this I love thediversity that we're seeing too.
It's not just one studiomonopolizing the corner, and if
you actually look at Pixar'srelease this year Elio, that
movie really underperformed,especially in comparison to some
of these other movies thatwe're sort of talking about here

(04:24):
, like how to Train your Dragon,lilo and Stitch.
The Minecraft movie is like ahybrid animation live action
film.
All of those films not producedby Disney have crushed it.
I mean Lilo and Stitch,obviously Disney, but have
crushed it this year, and so Idon't know.
We have we have the bad guystoo.

(04:46):
Coming out next week.
We'll see what that movie doesat the box office, and then no
no a double feature incoming,and so we will have to we, I
think we will have to really payattention to that box office
response there and then and thenseriously consider some sort of
because I feel like, really,ever since the pandemic is when

(05:08):
we saw this, that was that waslike the one thing that I think
families realized they missedthe most was the ability to get
out and take their kids andtheir families to to the
theaters, and ever since we'veturned to full capacity and
everything else.
Um, you're right, it's just,it's been, it's been evergreen,
but in a way we've never seenbefore, I feel like.

(05:28):
So, further examination, Iwould say to that.
And then, what do you have to?
What do you have to say for the, the franchise ip superhero
genre from 2025?
Because, from someone who iscompletely on the outside
looking in and has not seen afilm like superman yet, or

(05:49):
fantastic four or thunderbolts Istill haven't seen, are we, are
we back, in a way, not thatlike we would ever get back to
phase one or phase two or phasethree of the mcu, but it feels
like every time I log on toletterbox, I'm seeing another
four-star review for one ofthese movies.
Oh, have have we kind of we thethe movie going public, the

(06:11):
critics out there?
Have we scratched and clawedour way back to a place where
these are are are decent fanfare, fun times at the movies again
you know, okay, so I, I have notFantastic Four yet, so I cannot
speak on that style of.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
You know, a captain america winter soldier or a, um,
you know even kind of, uh, thefirst spider-man, uh, in the mcu

(06:53):
, which I can't even rememberwhat that's called, I think
homecoming.
Um, you know I, I feel likethey have found a little bit
Marvel's, found a little bit oftheir groove back.
I've heard it's so interestingPeople I really really respect
on the Internet who talk aboutmovies.
I've heard Trounce FantasticFour and say it is a complete

(07:18):
nothing burger.
It is bland, it looks like TV,the writing is bad, the
characters are boring, thestakes are, are no good, um, yet
the, the, the audience reactionseems to really enjoy it.
Um, so, until I see that film,um, you know I, I, I don't know

(07:44):
I, I never felt, even from fromevery trailer I saw.
I never felt excited forfantastic four and it seems like
again another step backwardsfor the marvel cinematic
universe switching over tosuperman, which is just like a
brand new flavor of that DCmovie style, right, like we had

(08:09):
the Zack Snyder stuff, whichagain very divisive whether it
was, you know it was toohardcore, too metal, too sad,
too dark compared to what youknow.
This this is, which is very popand very bright and very and,

(08:29):
to be fair, that's what jamesgunn billed this as.
This is like the pillar ofsuicide squad movie he did years
ago, right, and he did thatwith with the guardians movie.
That's his style.
So I and and people reallyresponded.
People have responded well tothat.
But then there's also a lot ofchatter online that it's like
it's woke Superman or it's it'stoo kiddy, now you know.

(08:53):
So I don't know, I I reallydon't know if if we're back or
not or if, like, both companieshave just kind of like gone back
to safe spaces, to where youknow they.
You know as much as we don'tlike the Zack Snyder stuff, like
he was at least taking a swingand like doing something

(09:13):
different.
And you know, um, which isweird for him to come out of my
mouth, cause I, I hate the ZackSnyder stuff.
But you know he, he was a, a,he had a vision and you can tell
when you're watching a ZackSnyder movie.
James Gunn is kind of the polaropposite and he does have a
vision as well.

(09:36):
But I keep telling people theSuperman movie is a good
Superman movie.
I don't know if it's a goodmovie.
I don't think it's really agood movie.
I think it's a good Supermanmovie.
Compared't think it's really agood movie.
I think it's a good supermanmovie, you know.
Compared to, you know whatwe've had in the past.
Whether you're looking atchristopher reeves or even the
superman returns from themid-2000s, like, I think it's

(09:57):
better than than those packagedsuperman movies and better than
man of.
But is it?
Is it a movie that, like youknow, would go on an all time
list for 2025?
Probably not.

Speaker 1 (10:11):
Interesting.
And then I don't know, there'sthere's the, the other side to
that coin of franchise, ip likeMission Impossible and we have
seen it in the horror genre alittle bit.
Megan to Final Destination,bloodlines.
We had a I know what you didlast summer reboot that just
came out a couple of weeks ago.
How do you feel like thosefilms have landed with with the

(10:33):
public?

Speaker 2 (10:51):
For me personally, some big franchises have really
sputtered into release this year.
Mission Impossible 8, I'm stillon my hill saying that movie
Not good, not good, not a goodMission Impossible movie and
just like a overcomplic, youknow, just over complicated
movie to begin with.
You know, something like 28years later, um, not a huge fan

(11:11):
of that movie.
Uh, you know, I, I think therewere some good things in it, and
then something like jurassicworld rebirth, which I just
thought was really, really tired, uh and bad.
So I, maybe some of those bigfranchise ips, hopefully, you
know I, I think missionimpossible is done.

(11:31):
I I think I think we will haveto wait for tom cruise to, um,
you know, uh, be six feet underbefore that comes back and then
or at least just physicallyunable to perform the way that

(11:58):
he feels like Ethan Hunt needsto act.
2006 to you know, 2025, you werea huge commodity.
Uh, you know like let, let's,let put it to rest and maybe,
maybe, if you want to bring itback in 10 years and tom cruise
is like the guy in the chair,you know he's or ethan hunt has
become the the overseer of theimf and like he can just kind of

(12:22):
like tell people what to do.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
What if Tom Cruise goes on to win like five Academy
Awards and they're all forstunt coordination once.
Once he hangs up acting andthat and that and that craft
category gets recognized?
Wouldn't that be something?

Speaker 2 (12:38):
And then, and then, yeah, jurassic World again.
You know, rebirth I.
I just think just such a tiredfranchise, um, with the same,
the same plot every single timewe're we're in that world.
So and even like, yeah, I don'teven something like definition

(12:58):
scheme too, which is notfranchise, but it is kind of
like it is a franchise.
Right, it's the west anderson.

Speaker 1 (13:03):
it is kind of like it is a franchise, right, it's the
West Anderson IP universe, yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
Even that, like is, is extremely tired and really
low on my list for a WestAnderson.
So, yeah, I don't know, I feellike I feel like this year
specifically, and I've only seen28 new releases, which is, I
feel like, low at this point ofthe year.

Speaker 1 (13:28):
I was looking at both of our letterbox stats.
I think over the last fouryears this is our lowest our
lowest production up till thispoint.

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yeah, but I feel like this year I find, hey, good,
good, good for us, right, we're,we're outside more.
That's great.
But I also think this year I'vebeen a lot more attracted to,
you know, the smaller thesmaller movies, the the more the
character study movies, the themovies that have something a

(13:56):
little bit more to say than youknow dinosaurs and handing off
planes.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
So I will say I really hope.
I mean, when we were 15 yearsold there was a mission
impossible and a jurassic parkmovie out there.
For us, when we're 35, it's thesame thing.
I really hope that when we're55 and in 20 years, we're not
talking about another jurassicpark movie, another mission
impossible movie.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
It is time to put these franchises to bed yeah,
and not to say that there therearen't big movies in my top five
.
There I mean two, two of themovies I think are two of the
biggest movies of the year andhuge blockbusters and um, I I
think.
But also I think they're alsooriginal.
You know, there's no repeat ipin my top 10 looking at right

(14:46):
now.
Right, there's.
There's no ip.
Everything's an original story.
Um, everything is pretty, uh,yeah, I would say adult, right,
uh, we're, we're pg-13 or higher, I feel like um, so, yeah, I
don't know, I think there I hopethere is a rebirth of these

(15:13):
original stories.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
And.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
I just want to, I kind of want to start
championing, you know, theoriginal stuff more, even though
you know, I know we want to beon the cutting edge of of movie
talk and all that.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
But uh, I mean, I hear exactly what you're saying
because, just from my day-to-daylife and I'm not sure what the
discourse has been down therebut the movie that I've had the
most people organically come upand talk to me about this year,
by far, without a doubt, andmaybe that's just because I was
really active.
We had, like our annual golfevent, uh, up here this last

(15:50):
weekend playing pickleball, abunch, just like being out being
social.
Everyone wanted to talk abouthappy gilmore too and they even
asked like are you gonna do anepisode on happy gilmore too?
But I think that's a reallygood reflection of like maybe
and I think you and I westruggle with this all the time,
where it's like what we shouldbe talking about versus what we

(16:11):
want to be talking about.
But it it was basically sayingthat happy gilmore 2 was the
streaming service's biggestrelease over its opening weekend
, where like 46 million peoplemaybe that was the number tuned

(16:33):
in to watch happy gilmore.
The sandman did the weekend itdropped.
And we love adam sandler, right,and maybe this is going to be
um, and maybe it is the one ofthe most talked about movies of
the year, but it's justsomething that I have zero
interest in dedicating, you know, time in my personal life to
watch and or time on thispodcast to end up talking about,
and so but I'm right there withyou because, like the movies

(16:56):
that I have here in my top five,I can't wait to discuss them
more and give them their, their15 minutes of fame well, it's
funny too, because so last weekI I fired up happy gilmore, um,
kind of in anticipation of happygilmore too, sure, sure, uh,
and because somehow kaylee hadnever seen that movie, which is
just a crime on humanity as a,as a child of the 90s.

(17:20):
That's she and she was howling.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
I mean she loved it, uh, and and that movie has real
power even now, you know what 40, 30 years, I what, 30 years, 30
years later, like that movie isfucking hilarious, uh, in all
the right ways.
And and I think, think we gotto the end of it and I just kind

(17:47):
of subconsciously was like Idon't want to watch the second
one.

Speaker 1 (17:52):
This doesn't Four hours in this world would be a
lot.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
Well, and it doesn't call for a sequel, it's just
going to put stink on thatoriginal, that original
brilliant movie.
Um, and so you know, and I knowyou know, sandman loves to make
movies with his friends, lovesto get big checks from Netflix,
which is awesome, and like hegot to hang out with a bunch of

(18:16):
golfer he's a big sports guy hegot to hang out with a bunch of
golfers.
He got to, you know, uh, go toreally nice courses, I'm sure,
which he probably didn't get todo in the in the original one.
You know the original one.
I think it all takes place incalifornia in the movie, but
they shoot everything invancouver, or I think it's like
it's set in san francisco andit's so funny to watch some of

(18:40):
these when they're on thecourses because it's so like
just blatantly the northwest yeswhich is up in bc, uh, in
canada, and and like it'ssupposed to be san francisco and
it's so funny to watch that now.
But, um, specifically the bobbarker bit, uh, that is supposed

(19:05):
to be in in like the heart ofSan Fran and it's just like
they're out in the wilderness onthe in in BC, right Like it
just.
But anyways, yeah, I don't knowthat.
I still haven't checked outhappy Go more too.
I probably, probably won't, tobe honest, yeah, it's tough, I
mean, those still haven'tchecked out happy.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Go more too.
I probably probably won't, tobe honest.
Yeah, it's tough.
I mean, those, those originaladam sandler movies do almost
feel like independent films now,compared to the stuff that he's
making, uh, for netflix and forthe different streaming
services now, um, okay, so let'slet's get to our, our top fives
.
You sort of discussed the, thetrends and the themes, the

(19:44):
things you've been responding tothis year.
I'll ask you this Was thereanything that has made your list
today that really surprised youwhen you watched it?
Or are the films that are onyour list movies that made it
there, that earned their waythere, because they lived up to
some sort of expectation thatyou had earned?

Speaker 2 (20:04):
their way there because they lived up to some
sort of expectation that you had.
I think I think four of the topfive were movies I were, I was
highly anticipating um and waswas pleasantly um, uh, relieved,
relieved and surprised that Ithat they're, they're good,
maybe maybe number three, maybenumber three.
I wasn't anticipating as muchbut so, uh, you know, had had my

(20:29):
eye on um, I'm surprised numberfive has stuck at number five.
Um, but then again, you know,after, you know, actually
sitting down and thinking aboutit like duh, it's there, um, you
know I, I think.
I know we're not going to gointo the whole top 10, but sure

(20:49):
I think the more interesting islike the 7 through 10 movies a
couple of honorable mentions wecan get to them yeah, yeah, um,
you know some that have held, uh, you know, I think, one movie
and we can I'll just talk aboutright now.
Uh, in honorable mentions, likeI'm surprised mickey 17 has.
I feel like that movie hasgrown um since seeing it in in

(21:14):
march and has stuck on, stuck atmy number seven spot, like I
interesting and the more andmore I think about that movie.
I, I, just, I, I, I tend to likeit more, um now, granted, I
haven't given it a rewatch, Ihaven't fired it back up, but,
um, I think, compared to some ofthe other stuff that has come

(21:35):
out, like you know, it's a bigoriginal science fiction story
that's got humor and satire.
Fiction story that's got humorand satire, also some action.
Robert pattinson in the middleof it, like I, I just I feel
like it's a, it's a just areally good I movie that again
will continue to grow um instature as as the years go on

(22:00):
maybe be reclaimed down the roadabsolutely I think.
So you know much I kind of likeoak joe right.
I feel like oak joe was alittle like met with kind of
aligned yeah, met with so soreviews.
But like the years since, likeit's, it's just been more
poignant and it's really hard tocall those kind of movies.

(22:23):
But, um, again, I think mickey17, you're gonna watch that in
five years and be like, oh I, Isee now what he was doing here
and yeah, it really works uh,yeah, I would.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
I would say that for mine I have.
I have one, one film inparticular that I was
anticipating and that, much likeyou, I was pleasantly
appreciative of how it lived upto the expectations and that it

(23:00):
delivered everything that Ihoped that it would deliver.
Another one I was maybe alittle pessimistic going into
and because there was so muchhype already, I had my guard up
a little bit.
And that movie, even if itunder delivered in some aspects
and I'll get to that here in alittle bit it was still
undeniable how, how great thisfilm was.

(23:22):
And then the other three arecomplete.
One I was anticipating, um asmaller movie though with like
less, less in the margins tokind of to kind of gamble with,
and so um, low overhead withthat one, but that has stayed in
my top five all year.
And then two other films areinternational movies that I just
had no idea about going intothis year, and so I was just

(23:44):
completely caught off guard andpleasantly surprised by those.
So quite the mixed bag in mytop five right now.

Speaker 2 (23:51):
Do you think I know at the top you mentioned.
We are going to look forward tosome other releases still to
come and you do think thatthere's still a big shakeup to,
to, to come in your top five.

Speaker 1 (24:05):
there is, there is, and now that's because that's
just because some of the names,um, you know that that I'm
staring down the barrel at like,we have a park chan wook film
to come this year, jim jar mooshis going to be releasing a
movie, obviously, paul thomasanderson, so like, and those are
just the three that come tomind right away here.

(24:26):
I mean, there's, there's a lotof room for for some movement
here.
That's that's how I feel, atleast.
And now, that's not to say thatthose are going to be automatic
top fives.
Maybe they're top tens and someof these movies stick around,
but we'll see yeah, that's, it'sso exciting.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
Hey, yeah, we still have half a year and there are
there.
I mean, if, if you payattention to, you know, the, the
festival lineups, uh, news,like I think you and I do, like
there's so much still to to comeand I I do, I also agree, I, I

(25:06):
think there is a shake-up tohappen.
Still, I think there are plentyof movies, as long as you go
out and like dig for them,there's, there's still plenty
out there.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Um, because, honestly , you know, when I'm also
looking at these 28 films thatI've seen this year, you know I,
other than the top five, Idon't know if I would want to
own much of it right where wehave that mind meld going on,
because that's the first placewhere where my uh thoughts went

(25:37):
or where it's like okay, I don'town any of these yet on blu-ray
, which ones will I want to goafter?
Um, and and as of right now, Imean, I've had the opportunity
to to cop one of these and justhaven't yet, and that's because,
honestly, I've heard that it'sa pretty bare bones physical
release, but at least there is aphysical release of it.
Um, but, like my number onemovie, I will definitely look to

(25:59):
own on on physical once itcomes out.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Yeah, I think it's up to definitely want to try All
right?

Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, let's, let's dive into it.
I'll go first here.
My number five favorite film ofthe year is from director Sean
Byrne and it is called DangerousAnimals.
This movie is out of Australia,actually premiered at Cannes,
and that I say that with alittle bit of shock and awe,

(26:28):
because once I begin talkingabout this movie here, you're
going to be like are you surethat played at the Cannes
International Film Festival, oneof the most prestigious events
in all of cinema?
Yes, this serial killer sharkmovie played at Cannes.
And those are two separatedistinctions.
Within the film, the sharks aremore used as accessories to

(26:51):
murder for this serial killer,um, played by jai korti, who's
just incredible in the film.
And he is this, this cat andmouse, um serial killer that
takes tourists ideally for him,young women out on his shark
touring boat, which is, ofcourse, haggard and seen better

(27:12):
days.
But that's kind of.
What I love about this movie isthat it has that almost like
backwoods, you're lost in thewilderness feel to it, even
though it's on the oceanprimarily.
But it feels like.
It feels a little bit likeyou're at the slaughterhouse in
texas or you're um like you'rewatching wolf creek.

(27:34):
Maybe um is is kind of the, thevibes you get where it's.
It's scary, but it's also atiny bit playful.
This movie is actually veryplayful and so, um, it stars.
It stars this, this youngactress, hassey harrison, who is
like a revelation in the movie.
She's so good as the finalsgirl, um, and she's kind of
giving a little bit.

(27:54):
She's a surfer and um, so it'shard not to draw comparisons to
like a young blake lively in theshallows, not only because of
their physical appearance butalso because of the shark aspect
of of the film.
But it's just a tight runtime.
It's really smart on therestraint, for the shark reveals
where it really is more aboutthe interpersonal relationship

(28:17):
of, of of our serial killer andhis victims.
And then when it's time forshowtime and he goes out at
night and you know, oftentimesthere's there's two people on
the boat at once and so he'll,he'll lower the first victim
right above the water, throwchum in the water, get the
sharks in a frenzy and it justbuilds a really fun tension.

(28:38):
It's got a great style.
It's got a lot of confidence.
Sean.
Sean does, as a director here,a lot of confidence in shooting
this film, so it's available onShudder.
It completely surprised me.
I heard good things about itcoming out of Cannes, lived up
to the hype and it's an easyrecommendation Love a good shark
movie.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
This has been on the watch list.
I got to sit down and andcommit some time to it.
Yeah, sharks, another, another,evergreen genre.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
I was going to when you were like there's no IP in
my top five.
I'm like there really isn't inmine either, but sharks are just
like when done right.
It's so funny because you talkabout like Jurassic park earlier
and we've seen in recenthistory with a film like, say,
65, that if you do dinosaurs andyou don't somehow have, you
know, a generational talent likesteven spielberg behind the

(29:30):
camera, um, chances are you'rejust going to be compared to a
jurassic park movie.
And so then us as like, say, ifyou're a dinosaur fan and you
want to see more dinosaur movies, you're kind of stuck in this
terrible limbo of like, well,all I have to look forward to
are jurassic park movies,because nobody has the gusto to
go out and make another dinosaurmovie in fear of comparison.

(29:52):
Same with pirates, I would say.
Ever since the pirates of thecaribbean franchise, um, hung it
up, we really haven't gottenanother fun swashbuckling high
seas adventure movie withpirates, and I think it's for
the same fears.
When it comes to sharks, youwould expect, because of jaws
and the impact that that moviehas had for over 50 years, 60

(30:15):
years now on cinema, that itwould be the same thing.
But it's really not like sharks.
You can keep going back to thatwell and you can keep finding.
My favorite thing about is youkeep finding new ways to tell a
shark story.
You could do the found footageversion, um, almost like not
that it's necessarily foundfootage, but something like open
water, where it's reallystripped down and independent.

Speaker 2 (30:34):
You can do something like the shallows, which is the
shallows yeah, exactly, exactly.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Um.
And now dangerous animals,where it's a really fun new
wrinkle, where it's like what ifa crazy man out on his shark
touring boat was actually aserial killer and all he was
trying to do was lure people outthere?
So that, and again, like, ofcourse he is the one killing
them, but the sharks do all thedirty work?
Um, so it's it's.

(31:01):
It's a great movie, uh.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
Jurassic park should be going down this same route.
Where's our castaway jurassicpark?
Where is our serial killerjurassic park?
Yes, yeah, like agreed.
It just stuck to the jawsformat for since 1993 and and
that's the problem.
That's the problem.

Speaker 1 (31:21):
That's why that's where we're going.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
We're going back to the island yeah, yeah, and we've
got kids with us.
Yeah, like it's the same.

Speaker 1 (31:30):
I know dna.
We still need more still needmore.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
This time it's gonna cause or save dementia or
whatever you know, like I again,yeah, shark movies.
I think that's why it's aperfect example.
Yeah, because they reinvent orthey do different genres, they
do different styles, likejurassic park should be doing

(31:56):
that as well.
Uh, my number five is a moviefrom a little filmmaker named
Steven Soderbergh, uh, who justmakes you know nine movies a
year, every year since 1988.
Um, and it's called black bagand this is by far like the

(32:18):
slickest, coolest, probably mostprofessional movie uh I've seen
this year.
Uh, it's a spy thriller withMichael F fastbender, kate
blanchett, uh, pierce brosnan,um, it's, it's just a great
adult contained thriller thatkeeps you guessing throughout.

(32:42):
Uh, it's beautiful, beautifullywritten.
Uh, it's beautifully uh,photographed.
Um, you know, there's there's acouple scenes, like when
they're at this dinner party,where you know, soderbergh is
playing with the lights andexperimenting with the lights in
camera, um, and stuff he'snever done before, right and

(33:04):
like, that's just amazing for afilmmaker of his stature, his
prolific nature, to still findnew things to do within the
frame is fantastic.
And you know, fassbender issomeone I've always, like,
really tried to champion, eventhough he he tends to do these

(33:25):
odd roles and again, like, muchlike the killer a couple years
ago.
He is very like monotone,stripped down, has no
personality in this movie buthonestly that's like when he's
at his best yeah, I agree he isso stoic and doesn't have to do
much um with the material he'sgiven.
Kate blanchett is just, you know, she's just on another level.

(33:50):
She can take any material andheighten it uh, and it's a very
much a cat and mouse.
You know, mystery, mysterymovie, that um is soderbergh,
kind of playing on the tropes ofa james bond right, like it's
kind of his james bond movie, um, and so just really really love

(34:11):
it uh, from one of our best uh,and so you, you love to see him
continue to to make qualityfilms.
And I will say you know he hasanother movie in my top 10
because he's steven so and hedoes, he does multiple movies in
one year uh, and which is avery different style of movie

(34:32):
from black bag.
But again, black bag is justlike one of the most polished
professional movies I've seen umthis year and that's that's why
it's on my top five.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
It's a great endorsement.
My number four sinners and Iassume that this is on your list
as well, so we table this.
I think, sure, yeah, yeah, wecan.
We can table it.
Okay, so then, keep, keep itgoing.
What's your number four?

Speaker 2 (34:56):
Uh.
My number four is friendship,uh, which, again like a movie
that uh, a smaller movie, onethat I anticipated was
anticipating a lot and was just,I was worried, like right
before the, right before thelights went down in the theater,
I got really worried like, ohno, what if this is like too

(35:18):
much?
But Tim Robinson, you know hisstyle of comedy is just it's,
it's crack to me, so it is.
It is just so brilliantly likesatirical, uncomfortable, cringy
, real, like the.

(35:40):
And this movie is about male.
It's about Tim Robinson andPaul Rudd, two guys that live on
the same street that meet andstrike a friendship up and then
that friendship deterioratesvery, very quickly.
And I think it has a lot ofanxiety pumped into it about,

(36:04):
you know, making friends as amale in your 30s or 40s and it
is.
I just think Tim Robinson isbrilliant and Andrew DeYoung is
the writer director and I, youknow, when he wrote this, I
don't think he wrote it foranyone other than Tim Robinson.
You know you're worried thathis, his sketch comedy style

(36:29):
would not translate to a fullfeature-length film, but this
movie is so wild and outrageousand takes such weird turns
throughout that, if you'rewilling to go along with it, I
think it's an extremelyenjoyable watch, if not just an
incredibly uncomfortable one.

(36:50):
Um, and I, I think that kind ofcomedy needs to be propped up
more in in a time when, like,comedy doesn't really have a
standing right now.
Right, this cringy,uncomfortable style is a style I
I really really enjoy.
So friendship is is awesome and,and I saw it at the vista on 35

(37:15):
, you know, I sat next to uh, acomedy writer who, like you know
, we, we struck up a friendshipand then, you know, know, of
course, we, you know we haven'thung out since, but, uh, because
because of the, you know thethemes of this movie, um, so
yeah, it's, uh, it's just it's,it's really good stuff and, yeah

(37:40):
, I, I highly recommend it.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
Uh, my number three is a movie that's been in my top
five all year long and that'scompanion by director drew
hancock.
Um, you know sophie thatcher.
I've been a really big fan ofhers ever since season one of
yellow jackets and she's onlycontinued to work towards that
max contract deal.

(38:03):
You know, she is like.
She is really capable, I think,of MVP level performances and I
can't wait to see where hercareer goes.
I love that she's staying inthe thriller genre for the most
part, with something like thisand Heretic recently and, of
course, the fame from YellowJackets.

(38:23):
But I could see her being aserious, dramatic actress for
years and years to come.
So I have to like this, this,you know, this recommendation
and this.
This movie's impact on me kindof it starts and ends with her
because she carries the wholething.
But I mean also there's there'sthis, there's there's this

(38:45):
quality to the film that feelslike it's perfectly nestled in
between the serious of somethinglike Ex Machina from 10 years
ago or so and then somethinglike Megan more recently, and I
really don't want to spoil toomuch of the film.
This movie is widely available.
I think it's on HBO.
Right for for folks to streamat home, um, but it definitely

(39:07):
is playing with, uh, our, ourcurrent reality of of ai and
everyone's differentrelationships with dating and
dating apps and trying to findlove in in a futuristic world,
if you will, um, but I mean thisharkens back to something like
the stepford Wives, you know,like we've seen this on on

(39:28):
screen for a really long time.
So I love this movie becauseit's not too self serious, but
it's also not too campy as well,like the violence in this movie
is still pretty awesome.
It's just that it's thatperfect tone that really keeps
you hooked and engaged over overa runtime, which is great.
You know, it's under two hours.
It just delivers exactly whatit promises while still kind of

(39:52):
keeping you guessing, andthere's some scenes that get
really tight, and it was thefirst movie I saw in theaters
this year, and so I love a goodDumpy Worry release that just
catches you off guard andsurprises you, and so
Companion's been one that'sstayed with me all year long,
really really like this movie.

Speaker 2 (40:11):
Yeah, Again, another film that I just it's on the
watch list.
I just got to sit down andwatch it.

Speaker 1 (40:19):
I wish you had more time.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
I wish I had more time, for sure, but yes,
something I will will will watchbefore the end of the year.
My number three is probably myfavorite theater experience of
the year, which, you know, playsplays a huge role in in the

(40:43):
enjoyment of these films.
This is a packed theater on afriday night.
Uh, over at the.
Where were we?
I think we went to amc burbankfor this.
Uh, but it's f1 and this is thebig, loud blockbuster of the
year that I've really, reallyenjoyed.
Uh, that that I mean, otherthan my number one, of course.

(41:07):
But uh, yeah, f1 is, you know,again, not not really
reinventing the wheel, uh, perse, uh, you know a lot.
I've heard a lot of talk whereit's like, yeah, it's, it's Top
Gun, maverick and you know, withfour wheels, um, which it very
much is.
It's a sports movie, it playsall the tropes.

(41:28):
You know, we had a wholeepisode on that with Marcus, um,
but, man, it is just athrilling experience on the big
screen.
And what Joseph Kaczynski isable to do with cameras and and
building new types of camerasand, um, you know, uh, placing
them in interesting places onthese vehicles to capture the

(41:52):
actor actually driving the carand being on in location at the
races, and and to have someonelike Brad Pitt in the middle of
your film, you know, even thoughhe says maybe 19 lines in the
whole movie, still extremelycharming, uh, and and watchable

(42:15):
Like it's just, you know, uh, inin a, in a world where we don't
get a lot of big sports moviesthat much anymore.
You know, I, I feel like thishas really taken the mantle as
like probably the best, is itthe best sports movie of the
21st century?
Um?

Speaker 1 (42:36):
I would just I would say that there's something
special about you, know, I thinkthat you can.
I think the easiest way to makea comparison like what you're
what you're doing right now withF1, is when you order a
cheeseburger at a restaurant andit's still a great tasting
cheeseburger.

(42:56):
That's to be admired.
Because so many people can doit wrong, get too cute, try to
do something different.
Try to do something different.
This movie doesn't really try todo anything different, aside
from the nuances, the fun thingsthat you're talking about, like
camera placement, the sounddesign and of course that has so
much to do with technology andeverything Just getting bigger
and better and louder and morehigh def.

(43:18):
But that's a marvel of acinematic achievement To pull it
all off and not have it feelcliche In a way.
That is.
That is boring, because thismovie's two and a half hours
long and I would argue that itis the most digestible fast, no
pun intended, but like runtimeof the king of the summer so far

(43:38):
, and I don't know if it will beknocked off by anything.
Okay, so my number two is goingto get interesting here.

(43:58):
My number two favorite film ofthe year is from director Paolo
Sorrentino and it's calledParthenope.
This is a movie that's been onmy watch list ever since I saw
A24 was going to distribute it.
Coming out of Italy, paoloSorrentino is a director that I
am completely unfamiliar with.
This is my first movie of his.

(44:20):
He's directed other things theGreat Beauty, the Hand of God,
this movie called Youth.
He did the miniseries that Ibelieve was on HBO or maybe
Apple with Jude Law, called theYoung Pope.
He's very, very interested inhis home country of Italy with

(44:41):
themes of religion and guilt andsexuality and repressed
emotions, remorse, and these areall things, if you've been
listening to the show for thelast four years that I'm super
into and find very, veryinteresting, especially in an
international filmmaker who hasjust grown up in a different
culture than us, right, and Ithink that there's quote unquote

(45:03):
different rules in differentcountries.
You know the French make theirfilms different than the way
that the Italians make theirfilms, which is different from
the way that the Germans maketheir films, which is certainly
different from the way that wemake our films, you know, here
in America, and so I love to seeall of that.
And so this movie, parthenope,blew me away.
First off because of howstunning it looks like.

(45:26):
It is the most beautiful moviethat I have seen all year.
Not to sound cliche, but everysingle scene looks like a
painting.
We are in naples, we're on thecoast of naples, and so you can
just imagine, like the sunbathing, everything, these
beautiful, beautiful blues andreds and yellows.
Um, it it is.

(45:46):
It is striking how how prettythis movie is.
Um, it is also anchored by um,an actress who I believe was
making her her debut.
Her name is celeste alaporta,and, and she is one of the most
incredible.
Like she's, she's breathtaking,she's I'm sorry, but she's
breathtakingly beautiful andit's, and it's it's so perfect

(46:10):
because parthenope is a.
Is is the name of a siren fromgreek mythology that would lure
sailors to their death out inthe open ocean, um, out in the
sea.
And.
And so it works so well becausethis story, it is a coming of
age movie about this woman whohas this incredible beauty, and

(46:34):
she is aware of her beauty, butshe is told throughout the movie
that has a two hour longruntime, that she is so
mysterious and that she is suchshe she is so rare in in her
beauty and in her personalitybecause she doesn't use it for
gain.
And now, in her opinion, in herview, she she is, she

(46:59):
understands her beauty, butshe's also like an academic.
This movie is all aboutanthropology and academic.
This movie's all aboutanthropology.
She really, really, reallywants to become an
anthropologist and has anincredible relationship with,
with her professor who,basically, is her like pseudo
father, father figure,throughout this film, um, it
kind of borders along the linesof fantasy, you know, again,

(47:19):
like this is.
I don't know if this issomething that sorrentino does
in all his films, but he takesreally big swings and has some
dreamlike sequences in thismovie that just show you some
incredible um imagery.
And then there's other thingsthat are grounded in reality,
that just feel completelyaberrant and strange and weird.
And, and there is some sometough, challenging um uh

(47:44):
storylines here with withsexuality, like this parthenope
is so beautiful, her brothercan't help but have these like
incestual thoughts about what itwould be like to be with her.
Her first love is someone elsewho, like, lives in her family's
villa with her.
He's the son of, of of theirhousemaid, and so it it's.

(48:06):
It's a movie that scratches acouple of different itches.
Like it looks like the talentedMr Ripley, it's a coming of age
story.
The way that call me by yourname feels just like, and
whether you can relate to thethe protagonist, your main
characters, like personaljourney or not, it reminds me a
lot of that.
And then the other, theprotagonist, your main
characters, like, um, personaljourney or not, it reminds me a

(48:27):
lot of that.
And then the other one, thatthat I think the characters most
closely resemble, is the worstperson in the world.
Um, the Joaquin Trier film froma few years ago.
I was getting real.
Um, I saw a lot of similaritiesbetween this film and this
movie.
Now, I don't want to beirresponsible and just blindly
um recommend this film withoutthis movie.
Now, I don't want to beirresponsible and just blindly

(48:48):
um recommend this film withoutalso acknowledging some things
that I've learned about paulosorrentino that are mostly
anecdotal.
But like you go and you readthe the top rated reviews, and I
put this in my letterboxdreview, which was quite
extensive.
But because this movie is, ithad a great impact on me and so
I again like, I want to beresponsible when talking about

(49:10):
it, but also, like thecriticisms that I've read, I
just don't see.
Everything is talking about howsorrentino, for his entire
career, has always, um, put thethe female characters in his
movie.
He's always shot them throughthe male gaze and not
necessarily like objectifiedthem, but been in a place where

(49:32):
he doesn't really fully developcharacters outside of maybe what
their purpose is aestheticallyon film.
What he's doing in this movie,which people are thinking like
he's he isn't aware of the factthat, like you can't just then
make your whole movie about somebeautiful woman and have the

(49:52):
entire story be about her beautymyth right that lures people to
the death via their beauty, andso, of course, this movie is
going to be about that kind ofstuff.

(50:13):
Um, so I don't know it's.
It's something that I'm stillkind of wrestling with.
I also don't know, like howmany people truly care and if,
like the 10 reviews that I'veread negatively that are at the
top of letterbox, or just somefrom some keyboard warriors who,
like need to get out and touchgrass and and understand that

(50:33):
like you go to the italian coast.
This, this is what art issupposed to do um and so I don't
know, totally passes the vibe.
Check the whole movie.
A coming of age story.
For it to be effective, I thinkneeds to be something universal
that feels like a memory, andthis movie feels like you're
watching someone's memories andI love it for that, and so this

(50:57):
movie is available to streamright now on hbo max.
I highly recommend it.
This is such a good movie.
This start if you've just likeyou're burnt out it's maybe a
sunday, it's sunny out thoughand you're just kind of like I
don't have it in me just likemake some food, do a charcuterie
board, do something where youcan just like snack your way
through this movie on a sunnyday at two o'clock, where you

(51:18):
yourself feel kind of likewashed in color, um and and and
it's just it was a great timeLike.
This movie is really reallyreally good and it's going to
stick with me for for a longtime.
It's, it's kind of a knockout.
So parthenopy highly recommendit.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
Parthenopy throwing it on the list, the watch list.
Uh, I think my number two isprobably your number one.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
Okay.
So we can have thatconversation now about Eddington
.

Speaker 2 (51:48):
Yeah, eddington, you know we we've just did a whole
episode on this movie.
So you know, I I wouldencourage people to go back and
and watch that or or listen tothat.
You could watch, watch orlisten.
I don't know if is that whatthat didn't get on the.

(52:10):
I've been so bad listeners.
Uh, about getting this youtubeup and running.
I do have a little bit moretime, uh, working from home now,
but, um, so hopefully I I canget some, some of the backlog up
on video.
But uh, yeah, eddington, youknow, again, just like a movie
that has so many differentlayers to it, that has so much

(52:33):
to say but not say at you, right, it's, it's strange, it's funny
, it's dark, it's, it is um,extremely brutal, um, and you
know, just in the best ari asterway that he can that he tends

(52:56):
to do, uh, and then you know hedrapes it in a, a western
setting, uh, he gets big moviestars to come in and play uh,
big, big parts and leading parts, as you know, pedro pascal or
uh joaquin phoenix does, butthen also in supporting roles

(53:16):
like austin butler and emmastone.
Um, it's just again much like alike, like, like black bag, like
it is just a straight up adultdrama with, you know, a master
storyteller and I I don't thinkit's hyperbole to say Ari is

(53:37):
already a master because hewrites and he's your ex and he
knows exactly what he wants andhis movies are exactly him.
So just a great movie.
That again, I think also as Iwas talking about Mickey 17
earlier will continue to grow inyears to come and, and I think

(54:01):
honestly, I think Mickey 17 andEddington, you know, have things
to say to each other.
Honestly, I think Mickey 17 andEddington, you know, have things
to say to each other, right,Like I think Bon Ju is doing his
style of what Ari is also doingin Eddington, or at least you
know, they both have somethingto say about our current time or
the moment in time.

(54:21):
So, yeah, I love Eddington, amovie that I continue to think
about too.

Speaker 1 (54:29):
Right, right, like that's always the mark of a good
film.
Yeah, I think I'm learning.

Speaker 2 (54:32):
Yeah, lingering, lingering.

Speaker 1 (54:33):
Movies are the best it's been lingering with me
since I've seen it as well, andI think the the part of the
filmmaking process behind themovie that I've learned more
about just from, like you know,seeing Instagram reels of Ari
talking during differentinterviews about the, about the
film and the production and somany people are interested in,

(54:57):
and when he started to developthis movie, and how much of his
real feel and how much of hisown feelings are in in the film.
And what I've really come toadmire about ari is that he is
so articulate in the way that hetalks about how he sometimes
doesn't know how something isgoing to work or land, because

(55:20):
it's all up here, right, it'sall in his head, and he doesn't
really know until he puts it outthere how it's going to land.
He knows what it's going tolook like.
He knows what it's going tosound like, cause, you're right,
he is already a master at hiscraft.
But it's so interesting to hearhim say things like well, I

(55:40):
didn't know if anybody else wasexperiencing these feelings that
I was having back in 2020.
And so I needed to tell a storyabout that, and it's like it'd
be easy just to say like well,yeah, dude, like.
Of course, you would know thateveryone else is feeling these
themes of isolation and yada,yada, yada.
But it's all the other stuffthat he explores in this movie

(56:03):
about memory and about grief andabout time, through these
different characters that you'relike.
He did not just tell a storyabout life during the pandemic,
he told a story about each andevery single one of these
different characters in thismovie, and it's so impressive
that he's able to do both at thesame time, and so I I've really

(56:23):
grown to appreciate this movieeven more, which I already had
rated at a a five, because thisis my favorite kind of
filmmaking.
Like the duality of thisstorytelling and this movie is
just so impressive, like thescript is so, so good.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
Yeah, yeah, and yeah yeah, and it's got and again
just got some great, great shotsin it too, like I, I think
about, I think about walkingit's, it's like minimalist I
feel like the visual style isvery minimal.

Speaker 1 (56:56):
Minimalist, but, like we talked about on the episode
a couple weeks ago, it's likewatching kubrick.
Like you know, everything inthe frame is there for a reason
and it's been positioned to facethe camera at a certain angle.
Like it is, the shots areincredible.
What were those scenes?

Speaker 2 (57:11):
The moment when Joaquin gets in line to go into
the grocery store and he is justlike he's like pushed to the
far right of the frame and justthis giant mural of Pedro Pascal
behind him and there's peoplein front of them Some are
wearing masks, some aren't andlike his look of disgust and

(57:31):
annoyance, like I'm, I'm goingto ape that, that exact shot I
just love.
I love that framing.
It's so good.

Speaker 1 (57:43):
Yeah, eddington's, it's.
It's a five-star movie.
If you haven't seen it yet, goout, find it.
Um still in theaters for acouple more weeks, I would
assume.

Speaker 2 (57:53):
So, again, highly recommended from the two of us
yeah, and then my number onemovie uh was your number four,
yeah which is sinners.
And if eddington is yourfavorite kind of like filmmaking
storytelling movie in general,sinners is is is mine like it.

Speaker 1 (58:12):
So I think I I just want to pause real quick because
I think this is maybe correctme if I'm wrong, but I think
this is the first time where youand I've really been able, on
air, to have a discussion aboutsinners together I, I believe so
, because you yeah you saw it.
You didn't get to see it intheaters.
I did not see it in theaters,no.

Speaker 2 (58:29):
Yeah, and so, and and again, the more I've thought
about sinners like the fact thatRyan Coogler was able to make
half of a Michael Mann movie andhalf of a John Carpenter movie
and smash them together is just,it's just fantastic genre, uh,

(58:51):
movie making and I'm I'm a hugegenre guy Like those are the
stories I love.
That's the kind of movies,that's the kind of stuff I, you
know, strive to make um and orwork on.
Uh, and yeah, I just think, andyeah, I just think Sinners is

(59:17):
just such a fun watch and such athrilling action movie, but
also has horror tropes in it.
It honestly feels like such acarpenter-like coded movie,
which is probably why I really,really love it.
And it's gory in all the rightways.
It's sexy, it's um, you know it.
It also has like backstory thatyou want to know more about.

(59:38):
Uh, it's got great performances, it looks beautiful, it sounds
beautiful.

Speaker 1 (59:44):
I, I just think sinners uh, is, is kind of just

(01:00:04):
the marriage Again, the marriageof like I don't even know if
you can call it prestige, butlike it's a perfect blend of
what having not seen it in thetheater, not being part of a big
crowd, which part of me regrets, of course, but another part of
me is really excited.
Um, I'm, I'm happy that Iwaited until I could watch it at
home and have the ability, notthat I paused and got up and did

(01:00:27):
other things or looked at asecond screen, of course, but
like I just being able to likereally lay there and kind of
almost like talk out loud to uhwith myself during during some
scenes, um was was really greatbecause it I feel like I almost
watched the movie at like 75percent speed, like everything
was just a little bit slower forme, as it maybe would have if

(01:00:50):
it might not have been that wayin the theater.
It might've felt morepropulsive and faster, and so,
um, especially that first hourreally washed over me and just
like just soaked through my skinand I and I wanted to see a
whole movie of that um, of ofthe two brothers as crime

(01:01:14):
figures returning to to thistown that they grew up in here
in the south and the differentinterpersonal relationships that
they have, and are they goingto be followed by organized
crime from from al capone's gangin chicago, and is there going
to be, um more, even more, of amob element to this movie?

(01:01:34):
Like I was so interested inthat and I like there's no one
else to blame I, because I gavethis movie a four and a half out
of five.
There is like 10 where where Iam like blaming, blaming Ryan,
because I am like you showed ussomething so awesome and then
you kind of took it away from usfor this vampire story which

(01:01:58):
and I put this in my reviewthematically I think is so
interesting and doing whathorror should be doing and has
been doing at the highest levelfor decades and decades and
decades, and that is exploringchallenges and tough
conversations in society.

(01:02:19):
And so for him to set a vampiremovie in the jim crow era, in
the Jim Crow era in the South,and then you take everything we
know about vampirism and how heuses it as a metaphor for, like,
actually being able to takeautonomy over your body and
you're not owned as a slaveanymore, you are.

(01:02:41):
You are something else.
Now, right, you are a slave toeternity.
You are someone who now cannever die and never escape this.
But the ideas and the way thatthe vampires are talking to
everybody at this party, thatMichael B Jordan is throwing,

(01:03:02):
he's saying like here's yourliberation Come with me and we
will rise above all of this andwe will outlive all of this, and
I think that that is sointeresting and so smart and
something that I'm sure in hislike I know, spike lee is a huge
fan of this movie.
Um, I haven't heard too manyother like prominent black

(01:03:24):
filmmakers talk about the film,but but I'm sure they are all in
awe of what Ryan was able to doby by bringing these two
different ideas together in agenre picture, and it is all
about the action.
Then that's where the movie Ithink, just like we take a step

(01:03:48):
back a little bit and just Ithink I just felt the struggle
between, like, wanting to makean action movie and a vampire
movie versus this reallyprestigious, really heady,
really interesting drama thatwas starting to play out and
that was playing out so well.
And so it is this balance ofspectacle that I still think.

(01:04:08):
Listen like it's a.
It's a minus for me.
It's obviously still in my topfive for the year.
Um, but gosh, is it a movie thatthat really makes you think and
and uh, and you don't even haveto get that deep into it, like
you can almost wait out thefirst hour and then get to the,

(01:04:29):
the John Carpenter vampires, um,nature of it all, where we are
playing on on lore and onvampire rules that we know and
that we love as fans of thegenre of, like they need to be
invited in.
You know, they're getting likegarlic water, they're getting
wooden stakes sharpened, like itturns into from dusk till dawn,

(01:04:52):
basically in in the final actand that's and that's awesome,
um, but, but yeah, when, when wego from the fastball to the
slider, I just I couldn't, Icouldn't hit that slider um,
every time.
And so I still love the movie,um, but haven't really gotten a
chance outside of my Letterboxdreview to like to, to talk about
or to write about the film.

(01:05:12):
And so those, those are mythoughts on Sinners, and I again
still think that it's anincredible movie and worth every
single bit of the praise andacclaim in the box office result
of the film.
Um, I, I think it's justamazing that this movie did as
well as it as it did and in away that I don't feel like is um

(01:05:34):
for any sort of cash grab orany sort of.
You know like we're not tryingto turn this into a franchise,
but I love the coda at the endin the way that the door is left
open for this story to continue.
If coogler and if michael bjordan wanted to and hayley
steinfeld, she would obviouslybe involved.

(01:05:55):
If you've seen sort of thepost-credits scene, so um, I I
love it for that.

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
I think it did just about everything as good as you
can possibly do it yeah, it'sreally interesting because,
again, like it is, it is twomovies right, like if if it was
just a vampire film from startto finish, like I think it would
be a good film if it was justthe crime drama that it is in

(01:06:21):
the first half, I think it'd bea good film.

Speaker 1 (01:06:24):
I think it could be a great film, if it was just that
.

Speaker 2 (01:06:26):
And I think to me, being able to put those two
together and, I think,seamlessly pretty intertwine
them to me is what makes it sospecial.
And yes, I do think the action.

(01:06:48):
I like the initial, likerushing into the barn and the
fight there, but then like whenwe're out in the water and all
that stuff, it gets a little,you know b movie, but like I
think that's what it's trying todo again intentional, yeah yeah
, so, yeah, it's, it's, it's agreat, great film, great film.

(01:07:09):
Can't wait to to own it.
On on there.

Speaker 1 (01:07:11):
There is a 4k out there already.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
I do know this yeah, um, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:07:17):
So then what's?
What's just on the outsidelooking in for you?

Speaker 2 (01:07:21):
uh, so warfare, it's right up, there.

Speaker 1 (01:07:24):
Uh, alex Garland's my number eight right now.

Speaker 2 (01:07:27):
Yeah, it's, it's sitting at number six for me.
Uh, mickey 17,.
As I mentioned, is that myseven spot?
Um the life of Chuck and theballad of Wallace Island.
Too much like just sentimental.
You know, life is beautiful.
Uh, real good study, yeah, feelgood.

(01:07:54):
Arc movies, um, that I'vereally enjoyed and, like you
know, I think in years pastprobably would have been further
down on my list.
But I don't know if I'm justgetting softer uh each year.
but these, both of these movies,I think really, really, really,
uh, grabbed me.
The ballad of Wallace Island isone I watched just last night,
uh, and it is in my top 10.
It is a absolute love letter tolike folk music of the early

(01:08:19):
two thousands, like the head andthe heart, uh, the Ava, ava
brothers, um, you know, and thatis music that, just like I love
.
Yes, so also, interestinglyenough, tim was.
I think his name is his nameTim story or Tim Tim key.
Tim key, who is one of theleads in the ballad of Wallace

(01:08:42):
Island, also wrote the movie.
He might've directed it as well.
Ballad of wallace island alsowrote the movie.
He might have directed it aswell.
He is seen as the pigeon man inmickey 17.
Oh, you're the guy in thepigeon suit.
Yeah, uh, so that guy's havinga good year, um.
And and then number 10, uh, ispresence, which is the other

(01:09:03):
soda bird movie from this year,um, uh.
So that kind of rounds out mytop 10.
How about you?

Speaker 1 (01:09:10):
yeah, I had warfare in there, I have f1 in there, um
, I also have hanging around um,and then the movie I saw very
early on in the year.
The 10 spot is the gorge I Ilove the gorge for being um, as
schlocky and as silly, um, andaction-packed, Should have been
in theaters.

Speaker 2 (01:09:26):
man.

Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
And it should have been in theaters.
I think that movie would havehad much longer legs had it have
gotten a wider release.
And then rounding out the top10 is a film that I watched just
last night.
That I won't say I let theexpectations get the better of
me, because I still reallyenjoyed it, but I do think I was

(01:09:48):
.
I was looking for somethinglike capital S special, and this
movie still is special, but itjust didn't quite hit their
reach, or I don't know if it hitits its ceiling.
And that's the ugly stepsister.
The movie that I've beenpromising to watch for months

(01:10:08):
now Finally got around to it.
It's available on Shudder, aGerman film that I did not know,
this going into it, but it itis like the it is the substance
meets Cinderella, the it is thesubstance meets cinderella.

(01:10:31):
So it's a very dark, grim fairytale that takes place in this
fairy tale world, where there isum a, a mother with three
daughters.
Two of them are her own.
The most beautiful of the threedaughters is the daughter of
her late husband, who dies rightafter they marry, and so the
Cinderella character in thismovie is actually not our main

(01:10:54):
protagonist.
We are with one of Cinderella'sstepsisters.
Who is getting this pressurefrom Cinderella's stepmother to
marry the prince of the ball?
Because the family has notmarried into money the way that
they thought that they did, andso there is great body horror in
this movie.
You know it takes place.

(01:11:15):
Not that I think that the fairytale, cinderella, has any time
period on it, but this is likeVictorian era, you know gowns
and balls and princes andprincesses and things of that
nature.
And so the technology,especially in the medical field,
not where it is today.
And so when the ugly stepsisterneeds a rhinoplasty, when she

(01:11:40):
needs a nose job, it is wild.
When she goes to get eyelashextensions, they are sewn in,
and we see it.
When she needs to lose weight,guess what?
There's no Ozepic.
And so she's eating a tapewormand this tapeworm is growing
inside of her as she's eatingwhatever she wants and still

(01:12:02):
losing weight.
The face that Max is makingright now is the face I was
making while watching it, butalso letting out like the oh my.

Speaker 2 (01:12:12):
God, you know like this.

Speaker 1 (01:12:15):
This movie is a ton of fun, like it is, it's a great
time, and so I don't know I'mgoing to, I'm going to sit with
it for a little while because Iactually just finished it this
morning before we popped on torecord this episode, so very
fresh in my mind.
A top 10 movie from the year,pretty comfortably, but just not

(01:12:36):
, I don't know, in some ways notwhat I expected.
I still think that it's reallywell executed, but again, I
don't know what the ceiling fora film like this is, necessarily
, but I and I haven't written areview of it yet, um, so I'll
kind of think through it here,but I, I feel like it did just.
It came up a little bit short,but still a really really good

(01:12:56):
time.
Um, with another international,um, you know film that I don't
think necessarily fits into thehorror genre.
It's more body horror and andlike dark comedy, um, and and
and it's it's substance, like itis, it really is, um.
So if you have the stomach forit, I can, I can definitely
recommend the ugly step sisterNow, having finally seen it.

Speaker 2 (01:13:20):
I wonder if I, I wonder if the writer spent a lot
of time here in LA, because itseems to be attacking beauty
standards and oh, 100% is.

Speaker 1 (01:13:31):
Yeah, yeah it's.
It's really fun.
It's a good one, it is Okay.
So, as for what's next year onthe pod, max and I will be
briefly discussing the new filmtogether which we want to check
in on some movies that are stillto come.

(01:13:51):
Oh, a couple more anticipationones.
Yeah, let's throw.
Let's throw a few titles outthere.
Thanks for thanks for stoppingme.
Um, I mean, I already mentioned,you know, I, I guess I'll pull
up the watch list here so that Ican, um, give everybody their
15 seconds of fame.
You know, and this is goingback, this is like I should have
found time to watch this.
I still need to watch theShrouds by David Cronenberg to

(01:14:15):
see where that film lies by theend of the year.
But, oh my gosh, dude, my watchlist is so funny when I look at
the stuff that's still justlike hanging around on here.
And when I added things, um,it's really funny.
So, the park chan wook film um,well, I'll start.
I'll start with the pedroalmolvidar film actually the

(01:14:36):
room next door, whichtechnically is a 2024 release,
but I don't think it's beenreleased on video yet or on
demand here in in the unitedstates, and so need to watch
that movie.
Um, I'm going to count that asa 2025 release.
Julia ducarneau's alpha, whichI know didn't play all that well
, it can, but I'm a juliaducarneau um defender, um, until

(01:15:00):
she proves me otherwise.
Um, I think she just makesincredible films, so really
looking forward to that.
And then, yeah, what is the JimJarmusch?
My brother, sister, father,mother.

Speaker 2 (01:15:14):
Yeah, father, mother, sister, brother.

Speaker 1 (01:15:16):
Yes, thank you.
And then, once I keep scrollingthrough here, there's a lot of
random stuff.
There's still some Christmasrandom stuff.
Um, there's still someChristmas cringe that I have on
my watch list.
I need to get that off of here.
Um, let's see, where is thisnew park Chan wook film?

(01:15:37):
Do you have the title of it?
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:15:44):
yes, uh, no other choice.

Speaker 1 (01:15:46):
No other choice, thank you, yeah, um, um, it's my
big one for the year, rightthere I think.

Speaker 2 (01:15:52):
I think the next big one for me is weapons, and
weapons, yes yes um, I'm verystoked for that again, just like
a, very like we got kids, evilkids running around.
Um feels very stephen keen,very john carpenter um and

(01:16:14):
crager is like, he's in there.
He's in our good graces rightnow right uh ballad of a small
player uh by edward berger whodid did Conclave last year All
quite on Western front.
It's a high-stakes gamblerdecides to lay low in Macau,

(01:16:39):
starring Colin Farrell as yourpoker player, very excited for
that.
You know.
Borgogna another Yorgos moviestarring emma stone is coming,
um, hopefully, you know, soonish.
It's about all about conspiracy, um, and kind of like a
kidnapping of a high-powered ceo, which I can't wait for.

(01:17:02):
Um, the running man, yeah, yeah, I think it's just going to be
a great time.
Glenn Powell, edgar Wright,science fiction, dystopian I
mean, it's just right up myalley.
I know we've talked about PTAand One Battle After Another.
We've got movies coming fromboth Safdie brothers this year

(01:17:25):
the Smashing Machine, which Ihope is good.
That photos look pretty cool.
Dwayne Johnson you know, maybewe're actually turning a corner
here.
And he wants to be in goodstuff.
And then Marty Supreme from theother.
So what?
The Smashing Machine is BennySafdie.

(01:17:46):
And then from Josh Safdie, isMarty Supremey supreme supposed
to come out in december starringuh timmy timmy shams.
Um, good luck, have fun, don'tdie I.
I think it's supposed to comeout this year from our guy
gorbaachev, yeah, yeah, who wehaven't seen in a long time um,

(01:18:08):
I also have um.

Speaker 1 (01:18:11):
I need to organize this.
I wonder if there's a way toorganize by year.
But I also found him I'm reallylooking forward to him from
director justin tipping, andthis is the new monkey paw
production, jordan peele'sproduction company, um, so I
think that's going to be reallya really interesting movie, kind
of set in the world of um,maybe not the nfl, but in

(01:18:31):
professional football at leastuh, jay kelly by noah bomback,
george clooney, adam sandler,laura dern, billy crudup are the
top four.

Speaker 2 (01:18:42):
Uh, booked on that.
That's going to be great.
I Want your Sex.
Greg Araki I just startedgetting into some of his stuff
from the 90s.
He's a very fun filmmaker, soI'm excited for some wildness in
that Del Toro's Frankenstein.

Speaker 1 (01:19:12):
Big Jim is still to come this year, guys I watched
the trailer.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
Did you watch the trailer?
I did it looks it.
You know, like every avatartrailer, it just looks extremely
stupid and silly.

Speaker 1 (01:19:20):
here's, here's the thing I I was talking to our
friend blaine about jamescameron the other day because he
said he heard or saw anInstagram reel where it was like
, doesn't this suck.
That just like where JamesCameron is just like wasting 15
years are the kind of movies hemakes, like he has lived in in

(01:19:50):
ip and in big blockbusters, um,you know, going back to
terminator 2, which I thinkpeople love the most, um, out of
his you maybe say somethinglike true lies is a bit more
original, but like the titanicis only as good as its movie
stars make it like that movie isjust a seventies disaster film,

(01:20:11):
shot with the advances of CGIthat we had in 1997.
And I I argued that, if you putyou know he was the.
The good fortune of castingLeonardo DiCaprio in that movie
I think has helped that film'slegacy immensely.
Because whenever I see someonego back and watch Titanic now,

(01:20:32):
everyone's like this CGI hasn'theld up and, of course, like you
can't hold that against it.
It looks good now, but likeit's the movie stars, it's Kate
Winslet and it's LeonardoDiCaprio, because that very
easily could have been, and notthat this would have made it
worse, but that could have beenMatt Damon or, in a way that it
would have made it worse, thatcould have been Mark Wahlberg,
that could have been so manyother people.

(01:20:53):
And if you're watching Titanicnow, you're sort of just like,
eh, you know, and so I don'tthink that Jim staying in the
Avatar franchise is somehowrobbing us of like you know, him
making a 1917 or an all quieton the western front or some
other big action, epichistorical war film or something

(01:21:15):
else like that, like this iswhat he wants to do.
He's obsessed with water.
he is, uh, he is really all theelements all the elements he's
obsessed with with with with theearth, and so let him just like
, let James do what he wants todo.
Is is my stance.

Speaker 2 (01:21:31):
Yeah, and and listen, everyone can talk shit on it.
Guess what it's.
It's probably going to be thethird highest grossing movie,
behind the other two.

Speaker 1 (01:21:39):
Yeah, yeah, that's the thing.
That and that was the otherthing.
Someone said that.
Like I read, read on, I think Iwas on reddit and saw a comment
that someone was like well,disney's just gonna keep letting
him make these movies becausethey're easy cash grabs and I'm
like they are, but they aren't.
These movies cost like aquarter of a billion to make.
Like he's leveraging an insaneproduction budget in hopes to

(01:22:03):
make, at least you know, half abill on these movies, which they
make, but like that's.

Speaker 2 (01:22:08):
That's incredible that these are the dollar
figures that were thrown outyeah, and then the last one I'll
throw out is after the hunt, uh, a new luca guadagnino movie
that's right.
That's right, wow, yeah, greatyear still to come, robert yeah,
andrew garfield, and it's abouta sex scandal at a college I'm
in.

Speaker 1 (01:22:27):
That's great.
Okay, so now for next week'sepisode.
We're going to talk a littlebit about Together and then
we're going to spend some timereviewing and frankly
criticizing the recentlypublished New York Times Top 100
Films of the 21st Century Max.
This was an episode idea thatyou came up with.

(01:22:47):
You've already had a chance togo through the list, kind of
highlight some films that youhaven't seen, maybe find some
talking points already.
What do you expect from thisepisode?

Speaker 2 (01:23:00):
Listen, there's.
What does a list do other thanmake us mad and debate?
Yeah, I would love a list.
Yes, yeah, there's.
There are some, some filmmakersthat are omitted from this list
that I think you know need tobe talked about.
I think you know there's.

(01:23:23):
You know someone who I love,steven Spielbergberg.
I think only has one movie onthis list, like, I'm sorry, did
spielberg only make one movie inthe 21st century?
I don't think so.
I know he's a big 20th centuryguy and a lot of his, you know,
I, I think some of his hall offame stuff is in that 20th

(01:23:45):
century, but there there's morethan than one.
I think we could have got onhere.
Also, you know, I, I, I do lovethat there's.
There could have been a lotmore crap.
I feel like.
I feel like they're they do apretty good job of even though

(01:24:06):
they're a wow, I just saw onenumber, 52, like I can't believe
that's number 52 already.
But, um, I think they do apretty good job of trying to
grab international films.

Speaker 1 (01:24:20):
Try, you know, doing big films but then also doing
the smaller, more indie films aswell at first blush, the
international component wassomething that I had a problem
with, but the more I'm lookingat this list now, I feel like
there's decent representation.

Speaker 2 (01:24:35):
I think there's there's good representation.
I think there's some likenumber 25, I think is extremely
high, and maybe I've just been,alex, pilled over the years by
doing this podcast with you.
No, that's too high, I also,you know.
But uh, I also think 13 is isunbelievable, that it should not

(01:24:57):
be number 13,.
But good, yeah, I mean I thinkthere'll be a lot of good stuff
to kind of kind of dig into here.

Speaker 1 (01:25:04):
A lot to chew on, for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:25:06):
Yeah, so lot of good stuff to kind of kind of dig
into here.
A lot to chew on for sure, yeah.
So it'll be really interesting,uh, if, if I have time, I'll
try and do some more like data,maybe try and get like some you
know how many, how many times oryou know like repeat filmmakers
on here or yeah, yeah or youknow, maybe genre stuff,
whatever.
Um, I'll try and get some moredata out of this list, but we

(01:25:28):
love.
We love numbers love, love alist, love a list and uh, I
think it's a good time to talkabout it.
You know, I, I together, I'mreally anticipating, together.
I I think it's going to be agreat horror movie.
Yeah, um, a lot of body horrorstuff uh in that.
But uh, I think right now, youknow, less homework feels good,

(01:25:50):
and so for us to just kind of gothrough this and and dig into
it would be great yeah, um,august is fun because august is
sort of the dumping grounds ofsummer, so we'll be getting
creative coming out in augustwhat's that also a predator
movie coming out in august.

Speaker 1 (01:26:07):
Yeah, badlands that'll be great, that'll be
awesome.
Um, chloe grace moretz podincoming.
Oh, is that who it is?
Yeah, oh, dang, that's a bummer.
Okay, well, good for her wecould.

Speaker 2 (01:26:23):
We could examine their, uh, their, their
filmography and see how manymovies we could, we could swap
them swap.

Speaker 1 (01:26:30):
Yeah, um, it would be a lot.
So until next time, pleasefollow excuse the intermission
on instagram and the two of uson letterboxd to track what
we're watching between shows,and we'll talk to you next time
on eti, where movies stillmatter you.