Want a bunch of new sounders, drops, and drunk segments? I’m pretty sure we do all of this at some point. We also review a bunch of movies, TV, and hand in our Movie Homework on time. Timestamp guy has all the details below. Timestamp guy also gets blasted for a good half hour during the show. Timestamp guy is the best.
0:01:27-Sup. New sounder by PeteMC!
0:01:27-Law, MorenoAlyx, and PeteMC are in the hizzy. Gross, I just typed hizzy. Is the name “Moreno” on the way out? Are you #TeamAlyx or #TeamMoreno? That’s a better fucking fight than that Captain America movie. What is everyone drinkin? Ammon? Probably? I don’t know. Maybe? I don’t know. Fuck you. Drunk Segments. Another sounder to be played later. Look at all this new shit!
0:08:36-DRUNK SEGMENT NUMERO UNO
0:16:19-TV ROUND UP. Moreno/Alyx up the first season of Legion. Check out the recent Small Screen Heroes for more discussion on Legion. Law is not itchin’ to watch Iron Fist. Podcast Round Up Sounder! Fast and Furious. STAY THE FUCKING COURSE. Moreno is catching up on Cheers and Rick and Morty. Law gives his thoughts on Big Little Lies, which concluded. PeteMC is grilled about how he asked Ammon what the ending was. Law talks Brockmire, and to a further extent, Hank Azaria and Amanda Peet. Better Call Saul is back this week. Season 2 is highlighted a bit. Fargo. Get Down Season 2 is up and running, bitches. Santa Clarita Diet, Training Day, Veep, Silicon (Smash?) Valley, Crashing, Girls.
1:01:37-Patreon Update
1:03:11-GC sounder. More drops. Temple of Doom Aftertaste gets mentioned.
1:14:05-WHAT DID YOU WATCH? PeteMC’s first ever sounder from the old show is played. Old shows are revisited. After what is probably six hours of bullshit (not exaggerating. But maybe I am), the segment begins with Pete who saw It for the first time. (It spoilers, btw). Face Swap round up. ANYWAY. Ok, so Pete also watched Desierto, Aftermath, Split, Louis C.K. Stand up. Tangents like a motherfucker. Back to Louis C.K., which was viewed across the board. AMMON. Alyx talks second Chappelle special, and Kong: Skull Island. Ammon checked out Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Law watched The Discovery. How much do you rely on movie reviews? Do you even give a shit?
This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend and why you should go see them. Which one will you see?
The Accountant
Reasons to see this:
This film is about Christian Wolf, a math savant who is an accountant for a criminal organization, who uncovers a discrepancy in the books. Not only do the numbers rise, but the body count does. Dun, dun, dun. This cast includes, Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, and more. Gavin O’ Connor is the director of this film. O’Connor has directed, Miracle, Pride and Glory, and Warrior. Can I count on you to see The Accountant this weekend?
Certain Women
Reasons to see this:
This film tells the story about three different women living in a small town in Montana. The certain women in this film are, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, and Laura Dern. Directing this dramatic film is Kelly Reichardt. Reichardt’s most notable films are Wendy and Lucy in 2008, starring Michelle Williams, and Night Moves in 2013, starring Jesse Eisenberg. If this film sounds interesting to you, then you must certainly go see this.
Desierto
Reasons to see this:
This movie is about a group of people crossing the Mexican border, only to discover a dangerous racist man, who has taken border patrol into his own hands. Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are the two leads in the film. Writing and directing this dramatic thriller is Jonás Cuarón, who has directed a few shorts as well as co-writer on Gravity. If his last name sounds familiar, that is because Alfonso Cuarón is his father. Don’t leave the theater deserted, go see Desierto this weekend.
Kevin Hart: What Now?
Reasons to see this:
This is a Kevin Hart stand-up special. This show takes place at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. Obviously Kevin Hart is the lead, since it’s his comedy special. However, there seems to be some skits within the show that star Halle Berry and Don Cheadle. There are two directors for this special, Leslie Small and Tim Story, who both have directed two prior Hart specials. What Now you ask? Now, go to the theater.
Max Steel
Reasons to see this:
Based on the animated series, which is based on the toy line, comes the theatrical movie. Max Steel is about a young man named Max and an alien named Steel. These two combine their powers and try to save the world. The Max Steel is played by Ben Winchell and Steel is played by Josh Brener (Silicon Falvey, I mean Valley). Maria Bello and Andy Garcia also star in this sci-fi adventure. If you’re a fan of the toy or a fan of the animated series, then go see this flick.
A few years ago Moreno and I went to Toronto where we proceeded to get drunk and hang out with long-time listener to the podcasts, Cristian Tane. Then we forced him to let us go to his house and watch the Breaking Bad season finale while drinking his booze and smoking his smoking stuff. Cristian attends the Toronto International Film Fest every year and fits in around 30 films. This year I asked him to send me the highlights.
by Cristian Tane
Another year, another amazing TIFF. My fourth time attending the festival, and my fourth time seeing more than 30 movies – 33, to be exact. And, like I usually do, I intentionally avoided some of the bigger titles that have a set release date in the near future – that’s why “Sicario”, “Black Mass”, “Beasts of No Nation” or “The Martian” are not in the list below. I also missed out on some sold out films that I really wanted to see, like “High Rise”, “Our Brand is Crisis” or “The Lobster”.
But, even without all these titles, I still managed to see a lot of great ones. Here’s my top ten.
1. Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson) – 10/10
This is one of those incredibly unique movies that come out only once in a while – and as I write this, I realize that statement is true for most Charlie Kaufman works. An incredibly rich, beautiful, weird and ultimately touching stop-motion animation, that deals with love and sadness and connecting with other people in a way no other animation ever did. It started off as a play, then moved on to Kickstarter, and now here it is, getting rave reviews. It’ll be in theaters soon – don’t miss it.
2. Room (Lenny Abrahamson) – 9/10
Let me start with this: if you haven’t read the novel, please avoid the trailer. It gives away so much. I walked into this not knowing anything about the story – other than that it’s about a trapped mother and son. And my experience was enhanced because of it.
Having said that, let me just say, “Room” is an incredible accomplishment on so many levels. The story is fantastic. Both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are terrific in the lead roles. Their performances carry the movie, and they are absolutely pitch perfect, in extremely difficult roles. The film is in turns dark, emotional, melancholic and hopeful. There’s one particular scene in the middle, set to an amazing song from one of my favorite bands (This Will Destroy You – The Mighty Rio Grande), that is so harrowing, emotional, and impressively executed, that, without a doubt, will end up as one of my favorite scenes of the year.
The only reason I haven’t rated this 10/10 is because of a couple of plot points that I felt were a bit forced and implausible. A minor complaint for a truly great film.
3. The Witch (Robert Eggers) – 9/10
“The Witch”, writer-director Robert Eggers’ first film, is easily one of the most atmospheric, unsettling genre films I have ever seen. With its incredible attention to detail, noticed in both the historical dialogue and Christian rituals of the time, as well as the spectacular cinematography, and the pitch perfect screenplay that deals with the characters inner demons just as much as the outer ones, this creeps under your skin and does to you what no cheap scares or CGI ever could.
4. Evolution (Lucile Hadzihalilovic) – 9/10
Gaspar Noe must be proud. His wife’s new film, “Evolution”, is easily the weirdest, most abstract and visually inventive film I’ve seen this year. Part sci-fi, part body horror, part eerie drama, this is one of those rare films that is so captivating and impressively shot, that it will require a second viewing, not only to untangle the disturbing plot, but also to not miss any of the visual details. Its slow pace and abstractness might turn off some viewers, but those who give in to this unique world will be highly rewarded.
5. Desierto (Jonas Cuaron) – 9/10
Talent seems to run in the Cuaron family. Alfonso’s son, Jonas, knocked it out of the park with “Desierto”, a mean, tense, action-packed film about a group of Mexican illegal immigrants, hunted by a crazy Texan while trying to cross the border. Cuaron stripped down a potentially socially charged story to its very core, choosing to skip back stories and exposition in favor of defining his characters through their actions. The result is a relentless thriller in which the desert is just as much a character as the actors, mostly due to Damian Garcia’s gorgeous cinematography.
6. Victoria (Sebastian Schipper) – 9/10
A remarkable technical accomplishment that also happens to feature believable characters, tense action, and excellent acting, “Victoria” is one of the most pleasant surprises at this year’s TIFF.
Yes, this was shot in one single 2-hour take, and a real one too, not fake like “Birdman”. Seamlessly going from romance to drama to action, from clubs to rooftops to side streets, no wonder Sturla Brandth Grovlen, the cinematographer, gets first billing on the end credits. What’s even more impressive is that even if you take out the gimmick of the one take, you’re still left with an exciting, tense, solid film, and characters with real chemistry.
7. Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier) – 8/10
Saulnier’s follow up to “Blue Ruin” is nowhere near as good, memorable or subtle, but it’s still a damn great movie. Saulnier is in full no-nonsense mode, with an ultra-violent tale set in the unique world of punk rock, pitting a band on the road versus a gang of neo-nazis, in a blood-filled fight to the death. It’s a tense, crazy movie, made even more so by having Patrick Stewart as the villain – he highlights an excellent cast, that features more standout performances, especially from Imogen Poots, and “Blue Ruin” star Maicon Blair.
8. Schneider vs Bax (Alex van Warmerdam) – 8/10
Two contract killers are pitted against each other, in this terribly fun and entertaining black comedy from “Borgman” director Alex van Warmerdam. This however isn’t another “Borgman”, it’s actually the very opposite. The black humor is still there and blacker than ever, but the story itself is as straightforward as they come – although, the more absurd everything gets, the more fun the story is.
9. Land of Mine (Martin Zandvliet) – 8/10
You’d think every single possible story about World War II was already told, right? Think again: “Land of Mine” offers a new, unique tale: the true story of German POW’s forced to find and disarm all of the hundreds of thousands of bombs left along the Danish coast. This is an excellent, accomplished film, extremely well directed and acted, that offers plenty of tense moments, and a great central character whose arc is both believable and intriguing.
10. Dheepan (Jacques Audiard) – 8/10
Jacques Audiard’s new film, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, continues his streak of excellent dramas, however without reaching the heights of his best one to date, “A Prophet”. “Dheepan” tells an intriguing story of a fake family that moves to Paris from the war-ridden Sri Lanka, only to be faced with different kind of hardships and violence. The characters are compelling enough, and the storytelling is poignant and powerful.
