BLACK PANTHER and sports movies with special guest Matt Goisman on Episode #188!

Black Panther movie poster

With great visuals, performances, and subtext, Ryan Coogler’s BLACK PANTHER has it all.

It’s a one-movie show this week, but boy what a movie! The guys are joined by Cape Cod Times sportswriter and lifelong comics enthusiast Matt Goisman, who gives his view of what makes a worthwhile sports movie before they all jump into the main event. BLACK PANTHER (13:15), Ryan Coogler’s mighty impressive statement on the long-term effects of colonialism that asks if it is possible for utopia to exist, should it? And oh yeah, it’s a superhero movie to boot. With amazing visuals, rich performances, and thoughtful subtext wrapped in an entertaining package, BLACK PANTHER is one to see whether you’re into Marvel movies or not.

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MY LEFT FOOT, MOONSTRUCK, MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE, MUDBOUND, HOSTILES on Episode #185

hero_Mudbound-2017

Lotsa movies on this week’s episode! First up is Dave with MY LEFT FOOT (4:21), the film that arguably sealed Daniel Day-Lewis’s reputation as the world’s most committed screen actor. Next, Evan runs us through MOONSTRUCK (12:45), a romantic romp with folks who just can’t stop getting hit in the eye by amore. Dave then perseveres through his disdain for the MAZE RUNNER series by explaining how it limps along into its third installment, THE DEATH CURE (20:25). Dave and Evan then dive into Academy Award-nominated MUDBOUND (33:08), before Kris and Dave wrap things up with HOSTILES (47:09), two very different movies that confront America’s inability to confront its own history of racism and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (Stephen Frears with Daniel Day-Lewis), DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (book vs. adaptation), and FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (Angelina Jolie) on Episode #184

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE

This week’s episode starts with Dave fresh off of MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (6:30), which he saw as part of Coolidge Corner Theatre’s series dedicated to Daniel Day-Lewis, “I’m Finished!” It’s all over the place with a million plot threads and an impossibly large cast, but boasts a terrific grit and excellent performances. Next up is Kris, who just finished reading Boris Pasternak’s DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and rewatched David Lean’s adaptation starring Omar Sharif (21:17). Kris wishes he were more impressed with the film after reading the novel, but is he breaking his own rule of separating films from source material by lowering his opinion of a movie he enjoyed? Maybe, and he’s the first to admit it. The episode then close things out with a recap of FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (36:42), Angelina Jolie’s film about life under the Khmer Rouge. The guys are split — Dave and Kris enthusiastically in favor, with Evan on the fence as to whether it’s a success in its own terms.

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PHANTOM THREAD (Paul Thomas Anderson), and Liam Neeson in THE COMMUTER on Episode #183

Ah, this scene, with Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) fitting a dress for Alma (Vicky Krieps), goes in many different directions.

Evan is sunning himself on a beach somewhere – or maybe not. But he’s in Florida, which means he’s warmer than Kris and Dave. And that means there’s a special guest filling in, friend-of-the-show Greg Vellante! After a brief discussion about why Greg works seven full days a week, he breaks down the latest Liam-Neeson-kills-people-in-January movie THE COMMUTER (6:03). Kris lets everyone know how’s he’s doing with his Letterboxd account, and then they’re into tha main event: Paul Thomas Anderson’s PHANTOM THREAD, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps. One word of advice: See it on film if you have the opportunity.

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Our Top 10 Films of 2017 on Episode #181

A scene of children dressed as soldiers holding guns on their backs in Angelina Jolie's film FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER.

A scene in Angelina Jolie’s new film FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER, which is a topic of discussion in this week’s episode.

Happy almost New Year dear listeners! This week, after Kris reveals the very painful way he thinks Dave can fix a messed up shoulder, Dave agrees with Charlie Nash’s commentary on MOLLY’S GAME (5:26) from the previous episode. Next the guys talk about holiday films (7:35) they watched like A CHRISTMAS STORY, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS and CASABLANCA. Then they move onto their main event (16:00), a deep dive into their ballots for the Boston Online Film Critics Association’s annual awards. The guys each share their top 10 films from the year, while also debating the merits of their favorite performances, directors, screenplays, editing, cinematography and scores, which include work in movies never-before discussed on the show.

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MOLLY’S GAME, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, and THE POST with special guest Charlie Nash on Episode #180

The Post

This week, friend of the show (and the hosts!) Charlie Nash returns to the guest seat in Dave’s absence. The first review of the night is Evan and Charlie with MOLLY’S GAME, Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut. The famed writer of A FEW GOOD MEN, THE WEST WING, and THE SOCIAL NETWORK, known for his tight and layered dialogue, would have benefited from applying the same discipline to his camerawork and pacing, as a worthwhile story with good performances gets buried under its own weight (and penchant for mansplaining). Next up is Charlie with a captivating recap of CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, Luca Guadagnino’s coming of age tale love story starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer. It boasts lush visuals and a deep exploration of discovering sides of ourselves we neither understand how to express nor contain. Wrapping things up is THE POST, Steven Spielberg’s latest masterpiece — yes, it really is — about the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. With a top-notch cast and a clear understanding of the stakes, it’s a must-see for history buffs or anyone who cares about valuing truth  and accountability above comfort and stability.

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STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, I, TONYA and guest Tim Estiloz on Episode #179!

The STAR WARS LAST JEDI logo

Even though we go full tilt spoilers on STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI with guest Tim Estiloz, this image doesn’t give anything away.

This week Kris, Evan, and Dave are joined by their good friend and fellow BOFCA member Tim Estiloz for a spirited discussion of I, TONYA (5:52) with Margot Robbie as figure skater Tonya Harding. Tim, a former professional ice skater and current news/film reporter-type, brings a unique perspective to the discussion and offers some insight on the real Harding’s skill as a skater. Then they guys get into STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (38:12). Yes, we give everything away (like always), but THE LAST JEDI is so much fun no spoilers could actually spoil it.

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THE DISASTER ARTIST, THE FLORIDA PROJECT, and more on Episode #177

Dave Franco laughing in a movie theater with James Franco in THE DISASTER ARTIST.

James Franco goes for broke as Tommy Wiseau in THE DISASTER ARTIST.

After Evan tells Kris and Dave about his exploding sofa cushions, they delve into the week’s movies. First there’s THE DISASTER ARTIST (6:30), the absolutely wonderful making-of-THE-ROOM movie directed by James Franco and starring Franco as Tommy Wiseau and his brother Dave Franco as Greg Sestero. Then there’s Sean Baker’s THE FLORIDA PROJECT (22:07), which all three guys saw and have lots of opinions about.

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ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ., COCO, and Keepin’ Up with the Jensons: THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER on Episode #176

Disney-Pixar COCO

Dead Can Dance.

On this week’s episode, Dave and Kris are still in the process of recovering from various plagues (Apologies for the occasional coughing!), but that doesn’t slow them down from getting to the bottom of this week’s releases. First up is Kris with an installment of Keepin’ Up with the Jensons, revisiting THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (4:50). Rather than rehash the plot, Kris ponders the point of it all, with some unsatisfying conclusions. Next up, Evan walks through ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. (9:24), the new film from NIGHTCRAWLER director Dan Gilroy featuring Denzel Washington and Colin Farrell. It’s not necessarily a bad film and it boasts some fine performances, but it ultimately suffers from a terminal case of not having a firm grasp on its own point, leading to an uneven tone and baffling plot twists. Last up is Dave and Kris with COCO (30:09), the new Pixar film guaranteed to make you cry. It’s a delight to behold that is gorgeous and heartfelt despite some issues of predictability, and is a welcome addition to the Pixar tradition of finding worthwhile, emotional stories in just about anything.

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Check out this week’s episode of Spoilerpiece Theatre!

JUSTICE LEAGUE, LAST FLAG FLYING, IN BETWEEN, KEEP THE CHANGE and special guest Sean Burns on Episode #175!

(L-r) JASON MOMOA as Aquaman, GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman, EZRA MILLER as The Flash and RAY FISHER as Cyborg in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure

JUSTICE LEAGUE….ASSEMBLED…minus Superman and Batman.

This week our good friend and co-host Kristofer Jenson is sidelined by the plague, so honorary fourth member Sean Burns fills in. He gets things started off (3:40) with a special guest segment, “Burned Out with Sean Burns,” in which he tells Dave and Evan what he thinks of THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. Evan follows things up with IN BETWEEN and KEEP THE CHANGE (8:50), which are showing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Then Sean and Dave weigh in on Richard Linklater’s LAST FLAG FLYING (18:00), the spiritual sequel to THE LAST DETAIL. Finally, it’s superhero time as Evan and Dave discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE (28:55) and Sean more or less correctly guesses the plot even though he hasn’t seen it.

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