The Weekly Movie Throwdown
Each Monday hosts Mike Messineo and Steven Seighman discuss a film that fits their monthly theme. It's fun, informative, and always a good time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
This week 21st-Century Westerns Month continues with a double shot of 3:10 to Yuma. We compare and contrast the original 1957 version—directed by Delmer Daves—and the 2007 James Mangold remake. There's a lot of shared DNA that carries through from Elmore Leonard's short story, as well as quite a few original ideas in both. We also discuss the loss of Joe Don Baker last week, and a few other news stories.
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On the show this week we discuss Wind River from 2017. This is the directorial debut of writer/actor/Paramount+ benefactor Taylor Sheridan. It's the third in his trilogy about the modern American frontier (along with Sicario and Hell or High Water), which makes it perfect for this month's 21st-Century Westerns theme. With a compelling story and pitch-perfect cast, we had a lot of fun talking about this one.
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...This week we kick off 21st Century Westerns Month, where we'll discuss the similarities and difference between modern films in this genre and their predecessors from the early days of Hollywood. Kicking things off, 2015's Bone Tomahawk, a throwback to early westerns with a very contemporary sensibility. It's the first film from writer/director S. Craig Zahler, and features an unbelievable cast. It's also controversial for its bruta...
This week we wrap up Baseball Month with one of the best films about the sport in the modern era. David S. Ward's Major League is a screwball comedy with a lot of the tropes we saw in Bad News Bears earlier in the month, and along with its hard R antics, it also sports a lot of heart in the writing. It's fun, funny, and inspiring. Join us as we discuss it along with some movie news about Sinners, Netflix, and much more!
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Baseball Month continues this week with 2002's The Rookie, directed by John Lee Hancock. This story based on the life of pitcher Jim Morris fits the Disney template for inspiring sports films perfectly with its underdog themes and uplifting conclusion. Steven is nuts about this one, and Mike is on board too.
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STILL TO COME DURING BASEBALL MONTH:
4/28: Major League (1989, directed by David S. Ward)
This week we're staying in 1976 with a look at The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, a somewhat forgotten comedy that looks at the obstacles faced by players in the Negro League in the 1940s. Its heavy-hitting cast includes Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, and Richard Pryor, and it tackles some serious issues while bringing nonstop comedy.
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STILL TO COME DURING BASEBALL MONTH:
4/21: The Rookie...
After our Bad News Bears episode we thought it'd be fun to stay on the mics and have a conversation about A Working Man, the new film from director David Ayer. It stars Jason Statham, the unofficial mascot of our show (see our first month of episodes from 2024 for more on him), as a construction worker with a dangerous past—much like The Beekeeper, the actor's other film with Ayer. Bonus: this was made from a script by the one and ...
April is upon us and that means it's time for a new monthly theme. Since spring is in the air we've decided to talk baseball this month on the show. Some of these films are a little off the beaten path, and a couple of them are beloved. But whether you know them or not, we can attest that they're all a lot of fun, starting with this week's exciting double feature.
We're discussing both versions of the classic Bad News Bears—the ...
This week we wrap up Fictional American Presidents Month with some high-octane fun. 1997's Air Force One, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, pits President Harrison Ford against terrorist Gary Oldman . . . on an airplane. It's peak dad action that preceded a whole rash of kick-ass Commander-In-Chief films in the years that followed. We're excited to talk about the one that started it all, so please join us.
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Fictional American Presidents Month rolls on this week with 1995's The American President, directed by Rob Reiner. This film stars Michael Douglas as a Commander In Chief with a conscience and a new girlfriend, played by Annette Bening. It's a charming story of love from a time when politics were simpler.
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STILL TO COME DURING FICTIONAL AMERICAN PRESIDENT MONTH:
3/31 Air Force One (1997)
On this week's episode we're taking a break from our Fictional American Presidents theme to do another installment of our Rewatch & Reconsider series where we dig up something that at least one of us liked in the past and watch it again to see if it's still any good, or if it failed the test of time. This time around we're moving away from presidents but sticking with politics as we watch 1992's The Distinguished Gentleman star...
This week Fictional American President Month continues with Dave, the Ivan Reitman-directed comedy from 1993. Kevin Kline gives two performances in this film as the president and the man asked to stand in for him after he suffers a stroke. It's a charming story filled with light-hearted political intrigue (at least by today's standards) and featuring an all-star cast from both Hollywood and Washington.
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STILL ...
This month on the podcast we're all about the American President. And while that might be a dicey subject in real life, the ones we're looking at harken back to a simpler time—one that didn't actually exist. These are all made-up presidents in films that span the past thirty or so years. The office has changed a lot in that time, and so has how it's portrayed on screen. We'll talk about rom-coms, dramas, and even action-adventures....
This week we wrap up R-Rated Rom-Com Month with an indie darling: 2020's Dinner In America. This film, directed by Adam Rehmeier and starring Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs, is an unconventional love story set against the backdrop of suburban malaise. It's punk, it's sweet, and it's a lot of fun.
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NEXT MONTH:
Fictional American Presidents
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.
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R-Rated Rom-Com Month continues this week with 2010's She's Out of My League, a really fun story of a mid guy (Jay Baruchel) who catches the eye of a stone-cold ten (played by Alice Eve) and he—along with everyone around him—can't understand it. Hilarity ensues, but there's a lot of heart underneath the comedy.
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STILL TO COME DURING R-RATED ROM-COM MONTH:
12/24: Dinner In America (2020)
In this episode we continue R-Rated Rom-Com Month with Nicholas Stoller's You're Cordially Invited, starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. It's currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
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STILL TO COME DURING R-RATED ROM-COM MONTH:
12/17: She's Out of My League (2010)
12/24: Dinner In America (2020)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.
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WE’D LOVE...
This week kicks off R-Rated Rom-Com month with a real banger. 2011's Bridesmaids might be the best of the bunch when it comes to this genre and we have a lot of fun talking about it.
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STILL TO COME DURING R-RATED ROM-COM MONTH:
12/10: You're Cordially Invited (2025)
12/17: She's Out of My League (2010)
12/24: Dinner In America (2020)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list&...
This week, we wrap up Gerard Butler Action Month with 2023's Plane, in which Gerry plays an everyman who's called to action when the flight he's piloting is forced to crash-land on an island run by guerillas. It's a great way to round out the month!
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WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!
Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/movi...
Gerard Butler Action Month continues this week with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which is currently in theaters. It's an action-packed heist film that re-teams Butler with O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the south of France. We also discuss the passing of legendary director David Lynch.
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STILL TO COME DURING GERARD BUTLER ACTION MONTH:
12/27: Plane (2023)
This week on the show Gerard Butler Action Month continues with 2021's Copshop. This Joe Carnahan-directed jail film features Butler at his best as a witty hitman, along with great performances from Frank Grillo and Alexis Louder.
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STILL TO COME DURING GERARD BUTLER ACTION MONTH:
12/20: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025)
12/27: Plane (2023)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list&nbs...
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