Tag Archives: documentary

08.19.16
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WAR DOGS, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, and LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD on Episode #110

War Dogs

Miles Teller and Jonah Hill wheeling and dealing as arms dealers in WAR DOGS.

The show opens this week with a conversation about director Werner Herzog’s very unique perspective on life. Following a shout out to one of Dave’s favorite YouTubers and a discussion about Evan’s book, Your ‘80s Movie Guide to Better Living, the guys dig into the week’s new releases. First up is Kris, who discusses Herzog’s documentary LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD (at 9:09). The filmmaker is more aware of his personal brand, so he features himself prominently in it, but it’s still a fascinating piece about the integration between humans and machines. Next, Evan reviews WAR DOGS (at 19:32). Even though it obviously rips off of GOODFELLAS, the movie is worth seeing because it’s funny, has great music, and showcases a tremendous lead performance by Jonah Hill. Lastly, Kris concludes with KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (at 36:20), which captivates with its stop motion animation and its take on ancient religion. Every place the characters go in the film and everything they do is enjoyable to watch, even if you’re aware the journey that they’re on.

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07.01.16
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THE BFG, OUR KIND OF TRAITOR, and EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS on Episode #103

The BFG

Some of the very very very good motion capture in THE BFG that Kris describes.

Somehow a conversation about moving on this week’s show turns into a digression about sippy cups where Evan shares why he needs them. The episode opens with a first ever joint segment of “Riedel’s Recaps” and “Keepin’ up with the Jensons,” where Kris and Dave talk about MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (at 4:26), one of Dave’s all-time favorite movies. They fill in some blanks left by Charlie’s exploration from the previous episode and use the segment as an opportunity to discuss Robert Altman in general. Then Kris reviews THE BFG (at 18:30), a movie that is neither Disney nor Steven Spielberg’s best work, but it does contain very very very good motion capture. After that Dave covers EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS (at 36:22), a talking head documentary that only contains one talking head—Frank Zappa himself. He ends up talking about the Zappa family’s recent drama for a bit before Evan wraps up with OUR KIND OF TRAITOR, a bromantic and tedious spy flick featuring Stellan Skarsgard with a BFM (Big Fuckin Mullet) and a silly Russian accent.

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05.27.16
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WEINER and CONFIRMATION on Episode #98

Kerry Washington in CONFIRMATION

Kerry Washington in CONFIRMATION

The sad tale of how Dave broke his middle finger inspires a bizarre horror movie premise on this week’s show. Then Evan’s passing joke about GHOSTBUSTERS leads to a discussion about James Rolfe’s boycott of the new version. Once the guys finish explaining why Rolfe (aka the Angry Video Game Nerd) is wrong, they dig into the political documentary WEINER (at 15:30). All three of them share why this film about Anthony Weiner’s failed run for Mayor of New York City captivated them with its tense interactions and impressed them with its inclusion of his wife Huma Abedin’s perspective. After all their Weiner jokes stop making sense, Evan moves on to cover the HBO movie CONFIRMATION (at 39:34), which chronicles the sexual harassment allegations made against Judge Clarence Thomas during his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court. Although it feels like too much of a made-for-TV movie, Evan argues that it’s an important story that needs to be told (and seen) since it shares Anita Hill’s perspective and exposes the shady Washington backdoor dealing that actively worked to discredit her. Plus, both Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce are fantastic in it as Hill and Thomas.

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09.18.15
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BLACK MASS, THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION, and GRANDMA Revisited on Episode #62

Johnny Depp in Black Mass

Kris says Johnny Depp’s peformance is good DESPITE his makeup in BLACK MASS

Dave is back this week to offer his take on GRANDMA, which echoes Sean’s sentiments about the film. Then he goes back to hating on Joe Swanberg for DIGGING FOR FIRE and derides Mumblecore movies in general, before Evan and Kris review the Johnny Depp Whitey Bulger film BLACK MASS. Kris thinks Depp’s performance is good despite his makeup and Evan agrees since he found several scenes chilling. Overall they spend a lot more time discussing better gangster movies like THE DEPARTED and GOODFELLAS, which should tell you something. Dave wraps everything up by talking about the documentary THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION, which he says is a bit one-sided, but totally watchable and really well-done.

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07.31.15
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION, IRRATIONAL MAN, and THE LOOK OF SILENCE on Episode #55

Tom Cruise Riding a Motorcycle in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Tom Cruise showing off in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

Boston podcast legend Steve Head from the Post-Movie Podcast and Diabolique Webcast almost gets stuck in cement on his way to join Evan and Kris for this week’s episode. After he and Evan swap SIMPSONS references, Steve shares some of his famous stories from working in the film industry. Then the three of them discuss MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION’s exciting set pieces, its fantastic female lead Rebecca Ferguson, record store names, why Tom Cruise probably works out like gerbil, and how the film series is just a chance for Cruise to show off. Kris spends some time talking about how Woody Allen’s latest film IRRATIONAL MAN is “all over the fuckin’ place,” which somehow leads to tangents about Wikipedia and Paul Feig, before he wraps things up with a quick summary of Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary THE LOOK OF SILENCE, a companion to his doc THE ACT OF KILLING.

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