It’s AFI time again and this week we’re chattin’ about Peter Bogdanovich’s beloved coming-of-age downer THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. It took us 5 films to get to a place of quasi-disagreement but there is more sparring than usual in this episode. Things get a little heated? Guess you’ll have to listen in to find out.
The summer of 2016 threatens to peak early as the 13th installment into the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes roaring into multiplexes on a wave of critical acclaim and financial expectation.
Join us for a gush-fest tempered by moments of constructive nit-pickery .
***Spoilers abound!
Next up on our AFI countdown is Spike Lee's seminal work, DO THE RIGHT THING. It's no secret that Oscar and I are big fans of this universally acclaimed film. But we do our best during the conversation to put the film into a historical context as opposed to a social one. It has always been a film to inspire controversy and conversation and we touch on both while also giving due credit to the exceptional ensemble cast, many of whom are doing career-best work here.
"I got it. I'm gone."
One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2016 (thus far) bowed this past weekend to huge box office and whether you agreed with the critics or felt your ticket money was well spent, it's hard to argue that Disney consistently represents an intimidating force in modern entertainment and has few qualms about repurposing its old properties in new packages for fresh audiences.
We have opinions. Oh we HAVE opinions. Listen in for a [mostly] spoiler free discussion about THE JUNGLE BOOK as well as brief chits and or chats about the ROGUE ONE teaser, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, and HARDCORE HENRY.
So there.
We're back to our old AFI Top 100 Challenge tricks with a lengthy discussion about a science fiction masterpiece as misunderstood as it is influential.
There will be:
-Navel gazing
-Robot alcoholism
-Cyberpunk signifiers
-Industrial fans (not to be confused with fans of industry)
-Frank Lloyd Wright fetishism
It's too bad this podcast won't last. But then again, what does?
It's here. It's not going away. We might as well just talk about it.
Another Oscar ceremony has come and gone. Let's talk about it so that we can stop talking about it.
The AFI Top 100 Challenge marches ahead and this week we discuss the a bit of jingoistic fluff from 1942- Michael Curtiz's enduring musical YANKEE DOODLE DANDY.
There will be:
-Star spangled standards
-Vaudevillian shenanigans
-Shuffle ball changes
-An entire family in blackface
-A whole lotta hoofing
We appreciate you listening, folks. My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you and I thank you.
A surprisingly crowded February hums along, incorrigibly, bringing us 3 new films of wildly different quality, success rates, and tonal ambitions.
Join us for in-depth but thrifty dissections of the Coen's latest, Ben Stiller's forced sequel, and a red-headed (suited?) Marvel stepchild.
00:06:15 - HAIL, CAESAR!
00:26:27 - ZOOLANDER 2
00:44:47 - DEADPOOL
It's a scorcher out there at the box office. Don't burn yourself.
WLM's newest feature, The AFI Top 100 Challenge presses on and this week we discuss the 20 year old animated classic, buddy comedy TOY STORY which takes the number 99 spot on the countdown.
There will be:
-Insult comics
-FULL METAL JACKET references
-Randy Newman singing about stuff he sees
-Tom Hanks throat-acting
-Jim Varney
To infinity and beyond, am I right?
I'll see myself out...
The AFI Top 100 Challenge is off to a rousing start with William Wyler's 4 hour monstrosity BEN-HUR.
To say this is an epic of biblical proportions would be an obtuse observation. But that doesn't make it not true.
There will be:
-Crucifixions
-Leper colonies
-Miracles
-Feats of strength
-Falling rooftop shingles
-and that chariot race...
I couldn't imagine a better film to start us off. It's gonna be a fun ride.
Nearly 4 years ago we conceived of a new feature of the We Like Movies blog: A 100-installment challenge dedicated to the American Film Institute's controversial "best" list. But the challenge proved to be too much for our fledgling website and the feature was abandoned after only 4 films.
But tonight, re-born and inspired by our recent WLM facelift, we submit to you the introduction to the definitive attempt at the AFI Top 100 Challenge! Our "spinoff" series begins here with an explanation of our intent and a delivery of the mission statement.
Join us as we journey from BEN-HUR to CITIZEN KANE and every film in between.
Viva la cinema!
The We Like Movies blog is reborn with a fresh look, exciting features, and a brand spanking new podcast feed!
The good news is we’re starting fresh with a more intuitive interface that is less likely to experience iTunes hiccups. The bad news is that by abandoning our old buggy podcast feed we’ve lost our subscriber list. SO- that means we need YOU, our faithful family to please RE-subscribe to the podcast. It’s absolutely free. All you have to do is search “We Like Movies” in the podcast section of the iTunes store, choose the feed featuring the Bert and Ernie thumbnail (ignore the old feed with the Steve Zissou picture, it’s in the process of being removed by Apple), and press “subscribe”. It’s just that simple.
Or you could just go here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/we-like-movies/id1076163984?mt=2
On this week’s episode, our first in our new online home, we gush about Squarespace, clean up a few honorable mention films left over from last week’s epic list making, bemoan the Oscar noms, and finally sound off about the 2016 films we’re most looking forward to.
New beginnings with old friends! Away we go.
Well friends, we just recently celebrated our 5 year anniversary and with 2016 shaping up to be the busiest and most productive year yet for the We Like Movies blog, Oscar and I decided it was time to do some housekeeping, give the page an overhaul, and start the year off fresh.
Read MoreIt's official. Oscar and I have finalized our Top 10 of 2015 lists and we defend them to one another over the course of a two and a half hour conversation that represents the longest sustained podcast we've ever recorded.
Fasten your seatbelts. It's gonna be a bumpy night...
No, but seriously... it's a great episode and we sound off about THE REVENANT and ANOMALISA as well... Strap in and get comfortable. This is what it's all about.
Up until a few days ago I was feeling very bemused regarding 2015's cinematic output. All of the films my friends and colleagues were swooning over last year (THE REVENANT, ANOMALISA, THE BIG SHORT, SPOTLIGHT, CAROL, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, et. al.) had failed to resonate with me. It's not that I'm a non-conformist. I just can't force myself to champion a film that pivots on 2 hours of driving in 1 direction before a decision is made to backtrack over ground and into the mouth of the monster we were trying so hard to evade. But enough about SPOTLIGHT. That's a conversation for a different day.
Read MoreFor the second year in a row, from January 1st to December 31st I had EXACTLY 80 theatrical motion picture screening experiences. What's the significance of that number? Does it hold some kind of religious significance? Should I consult a Mayan calendar?
Well, 80, it's been fun. But I've outgrown you. I've got my sights set on triple digit numbers in 2016...
But, for now, here's every film I saw in the theater in 2015:
Read MoreIt's a new year.
That means new challenges, new opportunities, and new podcasts.
In this case we present a new podcast about a new Tarantino film.
Not all Tarantino films are created equal. But the one thing they all have in common is they inspire conversation. THE HATEFUL EIGHT is no exception. But before we discuss Tarantino's new western epic we get caught up on THE FORCE AWAKENS backlash talk and Oscar's reactions to CAROL and THE BIG SHORT.
2016 is gonna be a good one for WLM. We're so happy to have you with us.
It's here. It's time. It's happening.
What wonderfully serendipitous timing that our discussion about the newest entry in the Star Wars saga coincides with the 5 year anniversary of this blog.
Join us for a spoiler-heavy celebration of THE FORCE AWAKENS and marvel with us at how quickly 5 years and 165 episodes can fly by.
Here's to many hundreds more.
As we all brace for the end of a decade-long Star Wars fast and properly fortify our emotions (lest we be blindsided they way we all were during the infamous Summer Of '99) it's important that we take stock of the 6 episodes that have led us, for better or for worse, to THE FORCE AWAKENS.
On this week's episode we basically get all of our collective Star Wars baggage out on the table, purge our respective resentments, and look forward to a potential salvation in the form of J.J.'s upcoming opus.
"That boy way our last hope" Kenobi once said (presumably referencing George Lucas).
"No, there is another" Yoda demurred (obviously referring to a certain bespectacled franchise savior).
In less than 48 hours we'll know how this all shakes out...