In this episode of 'Midday Movies,' hosts Laura and Stephen count down the top 50 movies of the 21st century, continuing from their previous podcast episode that covered numbers 100 to 51. The list, compiled by the New York Times, reflects votes from 500 industry luminaries. Highlights include Pixar’s 'Up' at number 50, Alfonso Cuarón’s 'Roma' at 46, Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' at 44, and Christopher Nolan’s 'The Dark Knight' at 28. The top 10 features modern classics like 'The Social Network,' 'Spirited Away,' 'Get Out,' and the number one spot goes to Bong Joon-ho’s 'Parasite.' Join the conversation as the duo delve into each film, discussing their significance and the directors who made a mark with their influential works.
00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:28 Top 50 Hottest Movies of the 21st Century: Part 2
01:07 Movie #50: Up
01:57 Movie #49: Before Sunset
02:33 Movie #48: The Lives of Others
02:53 Movie #47: Almost Famous
03:26 Movie #46: Roma
03:53 Movie #45: Moneyball
04:10 Movie #44: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
05:00 Movie #43: Old Boy
05:24 Movie #42: The Master
05:37 Movie #41: Amelie
06:00 Movie #40: Yi Yi
06:27 Movie #39: Lady Bird
06:47 Movie #38: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
06:55 Movie #37: Call Me by Your Name
07:33 Movie #36: A Serious Man
07:42 Movie #35: A Prophet
08:25 Movie #34: WALL-E
09:01 Movie #33: A Separation
09:37 Movie #32: Bridesmaids
10:05 Movie #31: The Departed
10:24 Movie #30: Lost in Translation
10:55 Movie #29: Arrival
12:04 Movie #28: The Dark Knight
12:50 Movie #27: Adaptation
13:21 Movie #26: Anatomy of a Fall
13:59 Movie #25: Phantom Thread
14:38 Movie #24: Her
15:13 Movie #23: Boyhood
15:51 Movie #22: The Grand Budapest Hotel
16:02 Movie #21: The Royal Tenenbaums
17:14 Surprising Entries and Popular Hits
17:39 David Fincher's Redemption
18:51 Alfonso Cuarón's Breakthrough
19:29 Ang Lee's Masterpieces
20:07 City of God and Other Gems
20:42 Quentin Tarantino's Iconic Moments
22:46 Top 10 Countdown Begins
24:41 The Social Network and Its Impact
25:36 Miyazaki's Spirited Away
26:16 Jordan Peele's Get Out
26:48 Eternal Sunshine and Other Classics
27:48 Top 5 Films of the 21st Century
33:22 The Great Man Theory of Cinema
34:21 Final Thoughts and Audience Engagement
And look forward to our Alien-themed RPG “Facehuggers and Friends,” featuring members of the Umbrella Podcast Collective (https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/umbrella) as players. Releasing in June, in advance of FX’s “Alien: Earth” series (2025).
Follow the Umbrella Podcast Collective on IG at @umbrellapodcastcollective for updates on “Facehuggers and Friends: An Alien RPG.”
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