Category Archives: drama

04.14.23
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MAFIA MAMMA and SHOWING UP on Episode #457

Toni Collette talks frantically on the phone in the movie Mafia Mamma.This week we’re reviewing MAFIA MAMMA and SHOWING UP! We start by discussing Kelly Reichardt’s dramedy SHOWING UP (3:22), which stars Michelle Williams as a sculptor trying to pursue her artistic work while contending with the struggles of daily life. Next, we cover Catherine Hardwicke’s comedy MAFIA MAMMA (27:42), which stars Toni Collette as an American woman who inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy and has to decide how she wants to run her crime family. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, in honor of its upcoming Amazon Prime Video adaptation, we’re talking about David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller/horror film DEAD RINGERS starring Jeremy Irons! 

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09.16.22
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GOD’S COUNTRY, SEE HOW THEY RUN, and PEARL on Episode #427

Thandiwe Newton stands in front of a pile of chopped wood looking off into the distance in the movie God's CountryDave starts the show by reviewing Ti West’s PEARL (2:09), a prequel to his horror film X. It also stars Mia Goth, but is surprisingly different, in a good way. Next, we all discuss Tom George’s 1950s whodunnit SEE HOW THEY RUN (11:01), a disappointing meta send-up to Agatha Christie that at least has fun performances by its leads Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan. Then we cover the Julian Higgins slow-burn thriller GOD’S COUNTRY (23:35), a layered, emotionally complex film about a professor (Thandiwe Newton) caught in an escalating battle with hunters who trespass on her property. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Steven Spielberg’s 1977 sci-fi film CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND! 

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05.27.22
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DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, THE LOST CITY, and ON THE COUNT OF THREE on Episode #411

Xochitl Gomez, Benedict Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch look worried in the movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessWe start this week by reviewing Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut ON THE COUNT OF THREE (1:43), a dark comedy/drama about two best friends (Carmichael and Christopher Abbott) trying to make the most of the last day of their lives. Next, we cover Aaron and Adam Nee’s goofy rom-com THE LOST CITY (19:43), which stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum as a romance novelist and her cover model who end up on a jungle adventure. We wrap up with Sam Raimi’s DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (32:19), a Marvel movie that’s a frustrating mixed bag. And on this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we’re talking about David Cronenberg’s 1981 sci-fi horror film SCANNERS, which is technically the runner-up in our body horror poll.

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04.29.22
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THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, THE AVIARY, and FIREBIRD on Episode 407

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal run for cover in the movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive TalentHi gang! Evan is on vacation so it’s just Megan and Dave holding down the fort. They start things off with the Nicolas Cage comedy THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT (2:41), a very silly romp through a weekend in the star’s fictionalized life. Then it’s THE AVIARY (14:54), a tense psychological drama about two women trying to escape a cult. Finally, they talk about FIREBIRD (30:50), a based-on-a-true-story movie about a soulful young soldier who embarks on a clandestine affair with a charismatic fighter pilot on a Soviet Air Force Base at the height of 1970’s Communist rule. Over on the Patreon exclusive audio, Megan and Dave talk about the 1979 Disney cult classic (question mark?) THE BLACK HOLE.

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02.18.22
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A BANQUET, STRAWBERRY MANSION, and THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE on Episode #397

Jessica Alexander stands in the woods with her mouth agape staring at something above her in the movie A BanquetThis week we have strong opinions about all the movies we cover. First up, is Josephine Decker’s THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE (1:43), a surreal romance none of us could stand about a teen coping with the death of her older sister. Next, we cover Kentucker Audley and Albert Birney’s colorful sci-fi romance STRAWBERRY MANSION (19:08), a story that’s stylized and smart, but becomes way too weird for one of us. Lastly, we review A BANQUET (30:50), Ruth Paxton’s tense psychological horror film, which we all agree falters in one key area. And in honor of Black History Month, this week we talk about Spike Lee’s biopic MALCOLM X starring Denzel Washington for our Patreon exclusive audio! 

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01.14.22
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PARALLEL MOTHERS, DON’T LOOK UP, and SEE FOR ME on Episode #392

Penelope Cruz and Milena Smit embrace each other tightly in the movie Parallel MothersWe start this week by reviewing Adam McKay’s hotly-debated Netflix climate change satire, DON’T LOOK UP (2:17), digging into the many ways it’s ineffective, and the couple of ways it is. Then we cover Randall Okita’s tense thriller SEE FOR ME (21:20), about a blind woman stuck inside a house full of crooks with nothing but an app and an army vet on the other side of it to guide her. We wrap up with Pedro Almodóvar’s moving, complex drama PARALLEL MOTHERS (33:11), which is about two mothers who give birth on the same day, and oh so much more. We won’t spoil it here, but we sure will in the episode. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we finally review the 1985 John Hughes classic, THE BREAKFAST CLUB! 

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01.08.22
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Our Top 10 Films of 2021 on Episode #391

A graphic which says: Top 10 Films of 2021We didn’t get a chance to share our top 10 films from 2021 last week, so we’re doing it this week! We each dig into our individual top 10 films from our 2021 Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards ballots, discussing the overlap between our lists, and the unique films that made our respective ballots. First up, is Dave (2:47), whose ballot includes a documentary, comedies, and dramas. He’s followed by Evan (33:20), whose list includes dramas, comedies, and horror. After that is Megan (47:09), whose list includes horror, dramas, and one comedy. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we decided to review a film with the number 10 in the title, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger! 

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12.24.21
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THE TENDER BAR, C’MON C’MON, and RED ROCKET on Episode #389

Ben Affleck and Tye Sheridan in George Clooney's film THE TENDER BAR

It’s movies-that-studios-are-pushing-for-awards week on Spoilerpiece! First up, Evan and Dave talk about Mike Mills’ C’MON C’MON (1:48), a funny drama starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny, who steps in to take care of his nephew Jesse (Woody Norman) while Jesse’s mother Viv (Gaby Hoffman) tends to her husband, Jesse’s father, who has bipolar disorder. That’s a clunky description, but don’t hold that against us because it’s a great conversation about a movie that’s firmly plugged into its emotional arc. Next, everyone saw THE TENDER BAR (22:03), director George Clooney’s coming-of-age drama, about JR (Daniel Ranieri as a kid and Tye Sheridan as a young adult), who moves with his mother (Lily Rabe) to her childhood home. Good news: Her brother, JR’s Uncle Charlie, is Ben Affleck. The bad news? Not enough Ben Affleck. Lastly, we talk about RED ROCKET (39:15), Sean Baker’s alternatingly funny yet uncomfortable comedy-drama. A washed-up porn star (a terrific Simon Rex) returns to his working class Texas hometown, crashing into his estranged wife’s life, and striking up a creepy romance with a 17-year-old (Suzanna Son), whom he’s trying to groom into a porn career that he hopes will restart his own.

Over on our Patreon, we talk about FARGO, the Coen brothers’ comedic thriller starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi. If you join our $5 tier, you’ll get immediate access to that conversation and more than 200 bonus episodes!

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12.17.21
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THE POWER OF THE DOG and THE NOVICE on Episode #388

Benedict Cumberbatch in Jane Campion's Western film THE POWER OF THE DOG

Megan is back from vacation, so she’s excited to review this week’s films! We start with Lauren Hadaway’s fantastic unsettling psychological thriller THE NOVICE (2:24) about a college student’s obsessive quest to make her school’s varsity rowing team, starring Isabelle Fuhrman. Then, we review Jane Campion’s beautifully-shot Western THE POWER OF THE DOG (21:42), starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Jesse Plemons. The Netflix film has been racking up awards from many film critics groups, including the Boston Online Film Critics Association, so we have a lot to say about it. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we change things up a bit by talking about our favorite movie car chases!

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12.10.21
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HOUSE OF GUCCI, THE CARD COUNTER, and WEST SIDE STORY with Guest Charlie Nash on Episode #387

Lady Gaga smirks with a cigarette in her mouth that she's about to light in the movie House of Gucci

We don’t all agree on HOUSE OF GUCCI, but we do all agree that Lady Gaga is great in it

Frequent guest Charlie Nash stops by this week to fill in for Megan. He offers a quick plug for his new podcast, Almost Major, before he reviews Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY (6:09), which despite his admitted bias against a particular actor in it, offers great spectacle and inspired tweaks to the original story. Next, we all discuss Paul Schrader’s THE CARD COUNTER (16:30), an intense tale about trauma and guilt starring Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Tiffany Haddish, and Willem Dafoe. After that we delve into Ridley Scott’s HOUSE OF GUCCI (39:28), a movie about wealth and manipulation that we have polarized reactions to. One thing we do agree on: Lady Gaga is great in it. And in this week’s Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about a Patron’s request, Ted Demme’s 1994 dark Christmas comedy, THE REF, starring Denis Leary!

Listen:

Download Here – and don’t forget to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, or Spotify! Call us at 862-21–PIECE (862-217-4323) or send us an e-mail: spoilerpiece AT gmail.com.