Tossed Caesar Salad

     This week... a heaping helping of dramas about how the working class really should finally rise up.

     When Ani, a savvy young Brighton Beach stripper, meets Vanya, the son of disturbingly wealthy Russian oligarchs, they form a nontraditional* relationship. Before long, Vanya is faced with having to go back home to Russia and confesses his love to Ani and desire to marry her for a green card. When Vanya's parents learn of his nuptials, the honeymoon phase comes to a crashing end. The latest feature from Sean Baker, a moving and deeply political work, Anora.
     Set in an alternative reality, New Rome is a dystopian nightmare of corruption and neglect. Fortunately, a visionary architect, who also happens to be part of the wealthiest and most powerful family in the city, has a plan for a utopian future development. Unfortunately, his brilliance is countered at every step by the governmental powers that be and those jealous of his natural brilliance. Heavily referencing Roman history and written like something out of the Ayn Rand school of inane bullshit comes what is likely the final feature** from a legendary director of the 1970s, a brain dead rim job about how artists are fucking magic and above your morality or some bullshit, Megalopolis. 
     All that and Dave completely dissociates to the point of never being whole again, Craig rages into an embolism, Kevin takes a long hard look at his life choices, and Tyler is very sticky for some reason.

*Nontraditional in the way that we are, socially, just not ready to discussion the greater transitional history and reality of most relationships.
** We very much hope is the last, at any rate.

    Join us, won't you?

  Episode 394- Tossed Caesar Salad

Secret Satan II: Satan Harder

     This week- we bring 2024 to a cheerful holiday end through torturing each other.

     When a serial killer has a cheap camcorder, nothing will stop him from recording his night drives around California or his crimes. A gift that will long give the joy of needing extra mental health care to one of us, Amateur Porn Star Killer 3: The Final Chapter.
     After barely surviving her encounter with Samuel, a young witch is now having her powers and body controlled by someone else. A gift that likely awakened something in its recipient, Witchcraft XV: Blood Rose.

     An aging deep sea documentarian has a midlife crisis and a potential son but never his inner misogyny. The gift that caused the second largest amount of collateral damage, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

     When a financial advisor and revenge focused lawyer are pulled over in Valkenvania, New Jersey, they might have to pay stiffer fines than expected. The gift best described as a white elephant, impractical but also indispensable, or Nothing but Trouble.
     All that and Kevin gets his classy close out on, Tyler desperately looks for blank arm space, and Dave realizes that every party does indeed need a pooper. Join us, won't you?

   Episode 393- Secret Satan II: Satan Harder

Figurines of Regret

     This week two movies about repercussions and the remorse of those who have to deal with them.

     Frances Glessner Lee was born into a wealthy family and had a lifelong interest in medicine and the burgeoning science of forensics. Dedicating her life and fortune to progressing the field. Her masterwork being the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of intricate dioramas with a wide variety of victims from all social classes and manners of death, which inspired many institutions and even fictional depictions over the last century. Just how long a shadow can be cast... Of Dolls and Murder?
     Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the Filipino film industry, creating a string of action hits. Now Leonor is retired and she, with her son Rudie, are struggling to pay the bills. After reading an ad calling for scripts, Leonor brushes off her unfinished final project. Tragically a serious blow to the head finds her waking up in her script, revising it in real time. Meanwhile, Rudie is desperately trying to find a way to connect to his comatose mother through the pages she left behind. The feature debut of writer-director Martika Ramirez Escobar... Leonor Will Never Die.
    All that and panic over next week's Secret Satan begins to take hold. Join us, won't you?

  Episode 392- Figurines of Regret

Flanger Abuse

     This week- two movies about living your life authentically to yourself in the face of societal pressure.

     When a performance art trio take up residency at an enigmatic and remote artistic institute, a journalist with gastric issues, Stones, is hired to document their day-today creative process. The trio, led by narcissist Elle di Elle, perform "sonic catering", making ASMR with culinary sounds. Stones finds his issues worsen as he is drawn ever deeper into their petty disagreements, power struggles, and complexly sordid history. A delicacy from Peter Strickland, a filmmaker for acquired tastes, Flux Gourmet.
     After a pair of cross country Bible selling Catholic schoolgirls knock on the wrong door, they are pulled into nightmare of torment, fear, and death. Lobo is a dealer and pimp who loves a little bit of excessive violence. Maria is his favorite employee with a habit of killing anyone she is alone with for more than 5 minutes. Catherine and Rebecca are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. When their paths intersect, blood flies and revenge will be doled out without hesitation. The feature debut of writer-director Joseph Guzman, Run! Bitch Run!
     All that and Craig, tired of Americans being unable to pronounce his name, makes a not so stunning accusation. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 391- Flanger Abuse

Recipe for Disaster

     This week- a pair of  working vacations do not go as planned with massive consequences.

     17 year-old skinhead Trevor is charged with throwing a brick the the window of a Pakistani man. Instead of  being sentenced immediately, the judge sends him to a residential assessment center. There he is met with a staff who have patience that would make a saint furious. Can this last chance finally get through to Trevor and make him change his life's path or is he trapped unable to fit in the system's one size fits all approach? The writer and director team from SCUM bring something that could only be Made in Britain.
     The West's superspy Loid Forger, also know as Twilight, finds his mission endangered by pressure from the higher ups unless significant progress is delivers soon. As this news is delivered, his cover marriage wife and secret top assassin of the East, Yor, witnesses what she interprets as Loid cheating. Meanwhile, their adopted and secretly telepathic daughter, Anya, is give a school assignment that could salvage Loid's operation. Together, with their precognitive pet Bond,  all three Forgers hop a train to sample a regional dessert. That's the moment when things get really complicated. The first feature based on a massively popular manga and anime, Spy X Family Code:White.
     All that and Dave misses the point, Tyler has dreams of a certain 90s nu metal artist, and Kevin barely survives a holiday event. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 390- Recipe for Disaster

No Pucks Given

     This week we ring in the last month of 2024 with a pair of films about people spiraling through very different existential crises.

     Lucia lives with depressed writer Lorenzo. When she returns home to an empty apartment, Lucia becomes frantic, finding a suicide note as she answers a call from the police that mentions an accident. Unable to hear more, Lucia hangs up and leaves to a small island Lorenzo always talked about. Elena lost her daughter to a tragedy and also seeks solace on the same island, where her child was conceived after a night of passion with an unknown man. Meanwhile, we witness Lorenzo's live over the last six years leading up to whatever tragic event befell him. A complex and visually striking work from divisive Spanish auteur Julio Medem, Sex and Lucia (Spanish title: Lucia y el sexo).
     When a New Jersey mob deal is broken up by a team of corrupt cops looking to rob them, low level member Joey is tasked with disposing of the guns. Especially a very distinctive nickel plated and ivory handled Smith & Wesson Model 36 belonging to Tommy Perello, son of the organization's leader. Joey instead takes the gun home and stashes it his basement where his son and their abused neighbor kid, Oleg, are playing. Oleg takes the gun and sets off a chain of events that will have Joey and the boy... Running Scared.
     All that and Dave's race has been run, Tyler makes Machiavellian moves, and Kevin has sexy snow dreams. Join us, won't you?

   Episode 389- NO PUCKS GIVEN

Remakes American Style

     This week a four pack of films that were originally made by other people in other countries and then swallowed by the Hollywood machine for you viewing pleasure.

     Seth is an angel. One of thousands just hanging out in the Los Angeles Public Library and occasionally going for walks around to witness people at their most stressed. Dr. Maggie Rice is a surgeon. She just lost a patient through no fault of her own. This causes Maggie to collapse because she is played by Meg Ryan. Will Seth be able to comfort Maggie in the way he increasingly wants? A remake of the German film Wings of Desire whose whole existence might be just to sell copies of the soundtrack, City of Angels.
     Count Thilbault Malefete is about to wed the beautiful Princess Rosalind. Tragically, a sly plan is enacted by the Earl of Warwick which results in Thibault being arrested and awaiting execution for Rosalind's murder. Fear not as his loyal serf brings a wizard to help. The plan is to slide our daring French Count back in time to save the day. Unfortunately, the spell goes wrong and Thibault finds himself, with his serf, in 2001 Chicago. Assisted by his descendant, who looks shockingly like Rosalind, Thibault must navigate turn of the century America to get back home. A remake of an all time highest grossing French film and retaining the original stars and writer-director, The Visitors.
     Mattie is worried about her ex-boyfriend and hacker, Josh. When she goes to finally check on him, he hangs himself with an ethernet cable. Soon ghostly visitors and impossible webcam feeds begin appearing all over the city. If one of the ghosts, who travel through wi-fi and cellular signals, touches you, you lose your will to live. Now Mattie and a new hunk she just met are on a race against time to stop a virus Josh accidentally unleashed. Can Mattie stop this techno terror before it consumes the world? A remake a wonderful warning about isolation in the digital age by the brilliant Kiyoshi Kurosawa and done in the way only Hollywood can, Pulse.
     When a wealthy businessman's beautiful but terrifyingly accident prone daughter disappears in Mexico, he spares no expense in the search. When a month passes without and progress, despite the endless supply of cash and top tier professionals sent in, he finally agrees to the most ridiculous of ideas. Why not send in someone equally accident prone based who just might stumble their way on to her trail? To accomplish this accountant Eugene Proctor is partnered with hardnosed investigator Raymond Campanella and let loose on an unsuspecting country. One of nine US remakes based on films by Francis Veber, Pure Luck.
    All that and Dave screams on the inside, Tyler tries to pull off a trifecta, and Kevin ignores this pain for Noir. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 388- Remakes American Style