Maximum Film!

Today we are looking at 2024’s hit musical movie adaptation, Wicked: Part I, directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. Plus we hear from the listener looking for movie recs while they recover from surgery. Author Paul Miles Schneider (The Silver Shoes trilogy) joins us. What’s Good: Alonso - BFI Classic’s 3 Women by Justin Wya...

We are looking at 2024’s Gladiator II , a sequel to the original 2000 film, also directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Connie Nielsen. Plus we look at the Top Turkeys of 2024 and our favorite Legacy Sequels. Writer and comedian, Kevin Avery ( The Great North, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ), joins us. What’s Good: Alonso - Disco: Music, Movies, a...

We are looking at the 2024 Netflix adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson play, The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washington, starring John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, and Samuel L. Jackson. Plus we take a music-movie quiz written by Steven Ray Morris . Emmy-winning film and television producer, Shelby Stone , joins us. What’s Good: Drea - Celebrity Look A...

We are taking a look at A24’s 2024 spiritual horror film, Heretic, starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East about two Mormon missionaries whose faith is tested by a seemingly awkward, but polite man. Plus we look at more movies about playing games. Oh No, Ross and Carrie 's Ross Blocher joins us. What’s Good: Alonso - Direct action and act locally Drea - SKINCARE (medicube collagen ove...

We are taking a look at the new Steve McQueen film Blitz, the 2024 historical war drama starring Saoirse Ronan as Rita, a single mother, working in a bomb factory, and introducing Elliot Heffernan as her son, George. Plus we look at other films where characters go on a journey to find their way home again. What’s Good: Alonso - Phyllis theme song Drea - “John” sign, NYC marathon Ify - Landmark The...

We are taking a look at Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, the new Netflix movie focusing on the true story about serial killer Rodney Alcala’s 1978 appearance on The Dating Game. Plus we look at other true crime stories dramatized on film. Lucy Fitzgerald from Wine & Crime joins us. What’s Good: Alonso - End of Daylight Savings Time Drea - Memorizing Geography Lucy - Going to I...

Anora is a 2024 romantic-comedy (?) written and directed by Sean Baker (Tangerine, The Florida Project), starring Mikey Madison as stripper Anora Mikheeva, and follows her beleaguered romance with Vanya (Mark Eidelstein), the son of a Russian Oligarch. All that and a discussion of other films portraying sex work. What’s Good: Alonso -  Christmas Movie Magic: The Game! Drea - A freshly, deep-cleane...

The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Farageat, starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid. The film follows a recently displaced celebrity who decides to take a secret drug that temporarily creates a younger version of herself with unexpected side effects. All that and a discussion of films that make you squirm. The one and only Kat...

Joker: Folie à Deux is the 2024 follow-up to 2019’s Joker. Directed again by Todd Phillips (of The Hangover fame originally), it stars Joaquin Phoenix (reprising the Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck), joined by musician-turned-actor Lady Gaga, playing the iconic comic book character Lee Quinzel aka Harley Quinn. All that and discussion of other musical moments in “none-musicals.” What’s Good: Al...

Will & Harper is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Josh Greenbaum and follows Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as the duo made a 17-day road trip across the United States discussing Harper’s transition, and their friendship. All that and discussion of other iconic friendships in cinema. Film Critic and Essayist, Willow Maclay joins us! What’s Good: Alonso - Texas State Fair Drea - Free Co...

After undergoing facial-reconstructive surgery, Edward becomes fixated on an actor in a stage production based on his former life. That’s the setup for A Different Man starring Sebastian Stan, written and directed by Aaron Schimberg. All that and a discussion of best plays-within-films from movie history. Writer and film critic Kristen Lopez joins us!   What’s Good: Alonso - Kelly Bishop, The Thir...

An 18 year old scores a phone number...for herself at 39. That's the soft sci-fi hook of Megan Park's second movie, a coming of age story that is very much of this era, even if it has its eyes on the future. All that and a discussion of best and worst older/younger character casting choices. Plus, big life news from Producer Marissa, who joins in as an all-episode guest this time around. What’s Go...

We go into a whole song and dance this week over Tim Burton's new BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE,. with Riley Silverman as our special guest. Then we'll remember (and suggest) some movies that made/would make for pretty bizarre Saturday Morning cartoons. What’s Good Alonso - Big Ice Cubes™ Drea - Ross Taylor’s NYC exhibit, A knowing History Riley - Reading streak Ify - Chris Tucker’s protection of his ca...

Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum lead an ensemble cast of blissful (and, for a while, blissfully unaware) island-timers in mind- and genre-bending new movie BLINK TWICE.  Amber Benson (filmmaker, writer, and actor) joins us to uncover the secrets of Slater King’s mysterious island. Then we do a movie quiz about actors who’ve dabbled (and then some) in directing. What’s Good Alonso - general food qua...

A book adaptation with cast of leading ladies to die for, three life stories, and only two hours to get it all out! We've got the smart and radiant Shar Jossell (newly elected President of NABJLA!) here with us to fill in the gaps. Then, we pitch some movies of our own, about unexpected celebrities in unexpected places. What’s Good Alonso - WHAMMY! Drea - Photobook from Gidget Shar - Strawberry ho...

We’re getting into that 2008 headspace with Sean Wang’s narrative feature debut, Dìdi. Then, a not-quite-a-Hotline “call” from Marissa about movies that showcase how media worked in the past. What’s Good Alonso - a nice, cold meal Drea - her movie to screen in White Bear Lake, MN Ify - meeting Alonso’s nephew at a CommandFest ITIDIC Despicable Me Director On Idea of Live-action Minions Movie: “God...

It’s a thriller. It’s a Josh Hartnett vehicle. It’s…a comedy? But is it the kind of trap you want to fall into, or the kind you want to avoid? Our mileage varies, but one thing is for sure: cinema yappers and movie snitches are both likely to get bonechilling glares from a MaxFilm host. We’ve got culture writer and film critic Fran Hoepfner along for these Shyamal-antics, plus a hotline question a...

Colman Domingo does it again, this time alongside a cast of mostly real-life former participants in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing penitentiary. The Boston Globe 's Odie Henderson is with us to take a closer look at a film that is, in fact, one of A24's latest. Then, a movie quiz that is much sillier than the film at hand! What’s Good Alonso - Hollywood Black on MGM+ Drea...

This week, Ify is reunited with the host of Very Important People , but not dressed as a purple alien this time, AND Alonso gets to meet the star of his favorite Hallmark movie of last year ( Round and Round )...and oh hey, it’s the same person, TWISTER superfan Vic Michaelis! It’s all in celebration of some tornado chasin’ (and Glen Powell in the rain in a white t-shirt) in Lee Isaac Chung’s TWIS...

Today we're taking a look at a movie from director Luke Gilford that started out as a book of photographs taken on the Gay Rodeo circuit and became a lot more. It's NATIONAL ANTHEM, with EUROVANGELISTS' own Oscar Montoya as our very special guest! Plus, we're naming favorite instances of drag on film and pitching fresh Westerns that deserve that angel investor capital. What’s Good Alonso - McConne...

Listener Harrison gave us a great shortlist of films to choose from this year – a prize Harrison became eligible for by supporting the show at MaximumFun.org/join . We went with Nahnatchka Khan’s slasher comedy from last year, TOTALLY KILLER (starring Kiernan Shipka as a teen who ends up back in time and tries to catch a murderer…before the murderer catches her! That inspires our latest slate of H...

The third installment of Ti West's maybe-a-trilogy, MaXXXine follows up on the bloody sagas of X and Pearl . And it does so in 1980s LA drag. Writer and critic Sarah Gorr joins us to share her big feelings about it! Then most of us take a Hotline email about introductions to horror for the horror-averse. What’s Good Alonso: Corpses, Fools and Monsters by Willow Maclay and Caden Gardner Drea: Europ...

Director Erica Tremblay's narrative feature debut stars Lily Gladstone and Isobel Deroy-Olson as an aunt and niece on the Seneca-Cayuga rez. After a long search for distribution, it's finally found its home on AppleTV+. We'll tell you why you should look out for it, and then round out the aunt-ly experience with a movie quiz all about the Aunts of Cinema. What's Good Alonso - the hand fan Drea - D...

June Squibb’s film career has always defied expectations for what an actor can do at what age. So why not star in your first headlining role - an action movie no less- at 94? We talk THELMA, then pitch some frankly amazing ideas for future action thrillers with unlikely stars. What’s Good Alonso - Sasha Geffen’s article on Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Welcome to the Pleasuredome Drea - returning to...

Comedian Erin Foley joins the gang to take a look back at the best lesbian neo-noir 1996 has to offer…which is also probably the best of all of those things that any year has to offer. The first movie directed by the Wachowskis, Bound gets more intriguing as time marches on. And now it also has has 4K Blu-Ray restoration from Criterion . Then we take a hotline call from a listener wondering about...