Jun 01 2015
Every Monday, each of us will suggest a film that we feel too few people have seen.
Melissa’s Pick of the Week: Lord of War
Back in 2005, Andrew Niccol (who crafted the brilliant GATTACA) wrote and directed a movie that tragically flew under the radar. In Lord of War, Nicolas Cage plays real-life arms dealer Yuri Orlav, and the film follows him through the birth, peak, and fade of his decades-long career of providing guns to the warlords of the world. Cage is great as a man who takes pride in his work as he simultaneously avoids allowing himself to think too much about what he’s doing. The film also benefits from the presence of Jared Leto, who plays Orlav’s distant-eyed brother, who is not as deft at life, but who does possess a moral compass that Yuri lacks. Ethan Hawke also pops up here and there as a dogged Interpol agent, who wants very badly to put Yuri out of business, but cannot because it would require dodging the law he is trying to uphold. Niccol’s sly script and deft storytelling give both gravity and black humor to the story, making it good, meaty fun.
Windy’s Pick of the Week: Waitress
Adrienne Shelly wrote and directed this small, sweet ensemble romance. Small town diner staff are each exploring their relationships and the compromises we make to deal with the mistakes made along the way. Which sounds WAY heavier than this delightful little film is! Dare I use the dreaded “quirky” to describe the characters and dialogue? Keri Russell is the central character, unhappily married and even more unhappily pregnant, with Nathan Fillion (!!!) as her romantic-sparks-causing OB-GYN. A curmedgeonly Andy Griffith rounds out the cast. Warning: You might want to stock up on some pie before popping this one in the DVD player.
May 28 2015
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Dear listeners, get ready to be bombarded with quotes, because this week our subject of choice is Monty Python! And joining us for our odyssey through absurdity is returning guest and Python fanatic Tonya Wershow!
If you would like to gain liver poisoning by drinking at every Python quote we drop, please consider Trepiche Malbec, which is responsible for our tipsy behavior during this episode.
Show notes behind the cut!
May 25 2015
Every Monday, each of us will suggest a film that we feel too few people have seen.
Windy’s Pick of the Week: Addicted to Love
There was a brief moment in 1997 when Meg Ryan got tired of being America’s Sweetheart, and before Matthew Broderick descended into one-dimensional kitsch. They got together and made a very off-beat romantic comedy predicated on Matthew and Meg teaming up to stalk their exes who are now together as a couple: Broderick is the sad-sack who just wants to figure out how to get his girl back, while Meg just wants revenge. Full disclosure: I haven’t watched it in years, but I do own it (and watched it frequently in the late 90s) because I loved how bitter and biting it was. The plot is predictable (it is a romantic comedy, after all) but it’s the byplay between Matthew and Meg that makes it fun. Also starring Kelly Preston and the dude who played the European scientist in The Core.
Melissa’s Pick of the Week: Creepshow
Back in the early 1980s, George Romero and Stephen King hatched this wicked little horror ode. This film contains a string of short stories, each a love letter to the particular brand of darkly humored monsters-and-comeuppance tales that made EC Comics famous. The film even has the bright, saturated colors of a comic, which is a nice change from the blanched horror films of today. Fans of playing Name That Actor will have a blast watching Creepshow, too, as it is loaded with great character actors and icons of 1980s cinema. In particular, watch for a pre-Cheers Ted Danson, a pre-comedy career Leslie Nielsen, and an unapologetically overcooked performance from Stephen King himself! The film relies far more on story, dark humor, and tone than it does on gore, so it can even appeal to folks who don’t normally dig horror films.
