Maximum Film!

Sam Raimi's darkly comedic thriller SEND HELP is a bright spot in the early 2026 movie calendar, and we've got writer and film critic Kristen Lopez with us to discuss it, as well as some of our favorite "Desert Island Movies" -- by which we mean movies set on a remote island, of course. What's Good Alonso - Super Bowl festivity & food Drea - Rainbow Wool Kristen - good movies in January Kevin - Tw...

We’re throwing our whole bodies into this discussion of Mona Fastvold’s epic historical musical biopic THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE. But it’s an audio medium, so you’ll have to take our word for it. We’re thrilled to have Emily St. James back with us! What’s Good Alonso - Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man Drea - The power of “DROWSING” (in Scrabble) Emily - Rewatching 28 Years Later Kevin - Love Thy Nei...

MaxFun's own Jordan Morris ( Jordan, Jesse, Go and Free with Ads ) joins us to discuss Nia DaCosta's latest flex -- this time, she's settling into the 28 Years Later director's chair for the second in a proposed trilogy of 28 Years films (which are themselves sequels to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later ). It's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, starring Ralph Fiennes, Chi Lewis-Parry, Erin Kellyman,...

After making a splash at Cannes, THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER is finally getting released to theaters around the US. It’s a faithful film adaptation of the memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch, and we’re joined by both a memoirist and a filmmaker to discuss it all — Roxane Gay (HUNGER, BAD FEMINIST, and much more) and Alain Martin ( The Forgotten Occupation). Then we’ll name some of our favorite memoir adaptatio...

Josh Safdie directed it, Timothée Chalamet stars in it, awards groups are crazy for it, and it’s seriously stressing us out. This week we’re back in the swing of things and talking about MARTY SUPREME. Then, in honor of main character Marty Mauser, we’re naming some of our favorite world-class assholes of cinema. What’s Good? Alonso - The meme feedback loop of Heated Rivalry Drea - Taskmaster (and...

We’re celebrating the end of the movie year that was and the start of the movie year to come, plus our first year (minus a few months in the middle there) with Kevin at the helm! We’ve got our annual Maxie Awards, movies we’re looking forward to in 2026 and, most importantly, each host’s 10 favorites from 2025. What's Good? Alonso - Barebells Drea - Warm (True) Spring Kevin - a year of hosting (so...

Jingle jingle, ya’ll! We’ve got comedian Ben Katzner joining us under the mistletoe for the holiday movie about a recovering improviser and a divorced dentist that you didn’t know were missing. Then we have a Hotline question about holiday movies that center Black Joy for a change! #4Brothers4Christmas What’s Good Alonso - LAFCA Citation for Gardena Cinema; Support Your Local Film Society Drea - P...

The Flop House ’s Elliot Kalan joins us to put his “Mad about Mads”-ness where his mouth is as we discuss a stylized new horror-ish thriller from director Bryan Fuller. Then we’ll talk about movies that would make good genre entry points for kids who are ready. What’s Good Drea - Heated Rivalry Elliott - Latke Night, his new book Joke Farming , & Werner Herzog’s A Guide for the Perplexed Kevin - Y...

George Clooney is JAY KELLY in Noah Baumbach’s latest film…and that might be true in more ways than one. The film chronicles the career of a fictional movie star. Speaking of chronicles, we’re joined by actor and filmmaker Justin Tyler, voice of the titular Derf in MaxFun’s newest show, The Young Old Derf Chronicles . And we have a movie quiz about real actors playing fictional actors on film! Wha...

What’s Good Alonso - the magic of podcasting Drea - the magic of a repainted bathroom Kevin - the magic of live jazz improvisation (The Tyler Hammond Jazz Experience) [ Morgan Freeman falling asleep clip ] ITIDIC 2020 and 2021 Titles Coming to Indie Theaters for ‘Lost Films of COVID’ Series Shrek 5 is back in the news as 3 actors are cast as his triplets Staff Picks Alonso - BLKNWS: Terms and Cond...

The new film from the team behind JOCKEY and SING SING is a lyrical life story starring Joel Edgerton. We’ve got casting director Nicole Arbusto with us to discuss this, and take on a Hotline question asking for professional shoutouts. Plus our annual Turkeys of the Year and the first post-Thanksgiving Christmas Movie Minute! What’s Good Alonso - magazines Drea - Buzz Ballz/BeatBox/Cutwater cockta...

An ode to a classic of French New Wave cinema – Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless ( A Bout de Souffle ) – Nouvelle Vague is more than a heady film nerd love fest. It’s a Linklater movie, which means it’s a hangout film; it’s just that the gang we’re hanging with happens to be reinventing modern cinema, whether they know it or not. We’ve got writer, actor, and teacher Tarik R. Davis (The Amber Ruffin Sh...

CW: discussion of domestic abuse We get into the good the bad and the ugly of the new boxing biopic CHRISTY, which tells the story of pioneering boxer Christy Martin and her dark power struggles both in and outside the ring. Then we have a movie quiz about bio pics with first-name titles.  What’s Good Alonso - successful Parker House rolls trial run Drea - remembering a detail of Arrival Daresha -...

Yorgos Lanthimos can be counted on for a weird, wild time, and this time around he’s back with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, plus newcomer Aidan Delbis, comedian Stavros Halkias, and even a bit of Alicia Silverstone. Former producer Casey O’Brien (co-host of Dear Movies, I Love You ) joins us to take an up-close look at movie loaded with close-ups. Then we name some of our favorite actor-director...

Just us chickens here this week to talk about the wild party we just witnessed...in Nia DaCosta's HEDDA, a modernized (but not modern-day) adaptation of the classic Ibsen play, HEDDA GABLER. Then we get into what works and doesn't work for us in stage-to-screen adaptations. What’s Good Alonso - Christmas creep! Drea - “...There she is.” Kevin - A weekend of artistic experiences ITIDIC A Memo Revea...

Josh O’Connor stars in a heist movie to end all heist movies – or at least end our illusions that the person pulling the heist is pretty cool and awesome. Comedian and friend Myq Kaplan is along to watch things unfold, and unravel, in THE MASTERMIND. Then we take a Hotline question about what film school courses we’d like to teach. What’s Good Alonso - Programme 4     Drea - First women to cross t...

A little gritty political drama, a little technicolor musical, a little revolutionary politics, a little ahead-of-its-time queer representation… Kiss of the Spider Woman has been a novel, a play, an Oscar-winning movie, a Tony-winning Broadway musical, and now a Bill Condon movie musical starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and relative newcomer Tonatiuh. LA-based film critic Carlos Aguilar joins...

If you’ve got Amazon Prime, you can put PLAY DIRTY (starring Mark Wahlberg, Rosa Salazar, LaKeith Stanfield, Tony Shaloub, and many more) right now. But should you? That’s where we come in, careening into your remote-wielding hand like a car chase onto a horse racing track in the first few minutes of PLAY DIRTY. Speaking of which, we’re also nominating Hall of Excellence candidates in the category...

Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film has car chases, explosions, secret societies, and and confused ex-revolutionaries...but did it make Drea cry? Find out the answer, plus our favorite underground cabals from film history, on this episode with special guest, noted critic Michael Phillips . What’s Good Alonso - Brian Earl’s Of Christmases Long, Long Ago Drea - COVID booster/Worm Charming Championshi...

An impossible, dystopian "sporting event" is the subject of this week's film, leading to a seemingly impossible feat of storytelling, production, and adaptation. It's THE LONG WALK, with YA Novelist and podcasting impresario Lauren Shippen as our special guest. Then, we talk about films that don't pass the Bechdel Test , but still pass muster. What’s Good Alonso - Hallmark Holiday movie lineup unv...

Director/star James Sweeney’s sophomore follow-up to Straight Up made a spalsh at Sundance this January, winning the Audience Award and a lot of buzz about Dylan O’Brien’s dual roles as twins Roman and Rocky. Director and writer Bryan Fuller, whose feature debut DUST BUNNY recently premiered at TIFF, joins us to see what all the fuss is about. Then we share some of our favorite dark comedies. What...

W. Kamau Bell is a noted comedian, author, filmmaker, and activist. He’s also the former co-host of the podcast DENZEL WASHINGTON IS THE GREATEST ACTOR OF ALL TIME PERIOD, along with our very own Kevin Avery. Now, we've gotten the former co-hosts (and former roommates!) back together. It’s a big deal, but does Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s big reunion rise to the occasion? Find out as we discu...

This week we’re talking WEAPONS, Zach Cregger’s follow up to BARBARIAN, with freelance writer and host of Chasing Amy Adams , Louis Peitzman . Plus, in honor of a spooky movie with a lot of kids at the center of its plot, we honor some of our favorite creepy kids from cinema. What’s Good? Drea - llama costumes at the MN State Fair Louis - giant beaver/fall scented candles Kevin -  AMC A-List binge...

Writer Meghan Fitzmartin joins us to debate: does a movie have to be "good," or is it enough to just be fun ? Then, we'll discuss our favorite Hollywood power couples, both on and off the screen. What’s Good? Alonso - The Dean Martin Association YouTube channel Drea - State Fairs, MN State Fair, Cropseed Art ( Crop Art & Scarecrow ) Meghan - Clay pipes (mudlarking on the foreshore) Kevin - Studio...

Director Kate Beecroft made her debut feature after meeting and living with a singular family, and then building a script and feature film around their lives – with them as the stars. The resulting film, EAST OF WALL won the Audience Award at the (ahem) Sundance Film Festival. Collider’s Taylor Gates joins us to discuss the movie, and to daydream about what kind of movie we’d set at some of our pe...