Maximum Film!

Director Jordan Peele’s third film has a lot to say, which is something it has in common with Ify, Alonso, and Drea. The crew shares all their thoughts and feelings on this spectacle of spectacles, and then dreams up some studio attractions to rival Jupiter’s Claim. [Note: there are spoilers, but there’s also a warning beforehand!] What’s Good Alonso - Recipes from Alison Roman’s YouTube Channel ,...

We’re joined by a host of Maximum Fun’s own ‘Just the Zoo of Us ’ to talk about a zoologically inspired film that still remains very much about humans, for better or worse. On top of that, she’s got an insider’s take on what it would really be like to make out in a coastal salt marsh.  Then, the whole gang talks about their favorite courtroom drama movies (it’s related, we swear). What’s Good  Alo...

Kevin Avery (writer, comedian, and former co-host of the premier Denzel Washington podcast) joins us to take a look at a young Denzel and first-time movie star Sarita Choudhury in Mira Nair’s sophomore feature from 1991, the often romantic, surprisingly political, and totally unique Mississippi Masala . Then, we think about what untold stories we’d like to see on screens. What’s Good Alonso - Dr....

The Flop House ’s Stuart Wellington joins our rag-tag crew of interdimensional warriors to discuss the latest Marvel Cinematic offering. Will the myriad pieces of this movie hold together to pack a punch? That was a Mjølnir reference.  What’s Good? Alonso - Shoresy Drea - James Webb Space Telescope Stuart - Bathory’s Viking Trilogy  Ify - SDCC Panel on July 23  ITIDIC a). Kirsten Dunst and Jesse P...

It’s Ify’s 3rd anniversary as host! To celebrate, film and culture writer Beandrea July joins us to bask in the afterglow of a Sundance darling that dares to explore an older woman’s sexuality (but doesn’t stop there!). Then, inspired by (the theme of) lust, we quiz it up about the Seven So-Called Deadly Sins. What’s Good Alonso - Irv’s Burgers is back Drea - THE MIRROR GAME at Woods Hole Film Fes...

With Australian writer and pop culture aficionado Maria Lewis in tow, the gang gets some glitz in their eyes, marvels at some really tricky old-age makeup, and takes in some history with a big grain of diamond crystal salt.  What’s Good Alonso – Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Drea - Vegas, baby! (kinda) Maria - Reebok Alien Stompers High-Tops  Ify - Being a part of the Universal Studio Tour...

We finally, really did it. We made the dinosaurs, we messed with the dinosaurs, we released the dinosaurs, we auctioned off the dinosaurs, and now we’re gathering the dinosaurs back up. Also, there are locusts. Confused? That’s Jurassic World Dominion, baby! Our expert guest is Steven Ray Morris, who hosts the See Jurassic Right podcast (in addition to producing other shows, like My Favorite Murde...

It premiered in 2005, propelling Jean-Marc Valée into the next level of his career. In 2015, Toronto critics named it one of the 10 best Canadian films of all time. And in 2022, American viewers can finally see what all the fuss is about. In honor of the late Valée, Pride month, and out 250th episode (!), we’re taking a look at the coming-of-age-and-coming-out story that is C.R.A.Z.Y. along with n...

The delightful Parvesh Cheena ( Connecting, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Shining Vale ) joins us to discuss the queer (mostly) Asian romcom that sets star/writer Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, and friends as the Bennett Sisters, and Conrad Ricamora as Mr. Darcy. Sex, party drugs, judgy gays, and emotional catharsis – you can find it all on FIRE ISLAND. What’s Good Mentions Alonso - Ms. Marvel Drea - mendin...

It’s breaking box office records...and ALL THE RULES. It’s flipping CGI the bird. It’s making its stars puke. It’s been 36 years since the first ‘Top Gun,’ and we’ve got the author of Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor , Amy Nicholson, to help us navigate the long-awaited, much-postponed sequel. Then, we’ll pitch our sequel ideas for movies that have yet to get a Chapter Two. What’s Good Alonso - Ben...

Pamela Ribon, screenwriter ( Ralph Breaks the Internet , Moana ), novelist ( My Boyfriend is a Bear ), comic book writer, and more) joins the crew to discuss Petite Maman , a movie that both Drea AND Alonso put on their best-of-the-year list in 2021. It’s finally hitting streaming in early June, and now we’ve got our takes on this film, which may or may not be about playing in the woods and making...

Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut hit Sundance back in 2021, but now it’s finally available on big and small screens. Film critic Carlos Aguilar joins us to describe the ways that this short film packs a long punch. AND: We cast our dream movie driving buddies! (cw: today’s movie is about suicide and depression; we’ll give you a heads up during the show too) What’s Good Alonso - LGBTQ Media El...

Stephen Strange is back on the big screens, and he’s f-ing around and finding out the hard way that messing with multiverses is complex business. Good news, true believers: our sherpa to the top of Mount Wundagore is MaxFun’s own Riley Silverman! What’s Good: Drea: The new Doctor Riley: The new Simple Favor Alonso: The new season of The Circle   ITIDIC: Dirty Dancing Sequel in the works at Lionsga...

The day this drops is the final day of the MaxFunDrive! Help us hit our goal by joining, upgrading, or boosting your membership! maximumfun.org/join Nicolas Cage is “Nick Cage” in the new movie from director Tom Gormican. It’s a buddy comedy, it’s an action flick, it’s a meta-commentary on movies themselves (and Cage’s career in particular). So who better to have as our guest than the author of th...

Become a MaxFun supporter or boost/upgrade your membership! maximumfun.org/join Matt Reeves' new Batman movie (maybe you heard about it?) is finally streaming, and we’re commemorating the moment with Batman nerd – ahem, EXPERT – Glen Weldon. Plus, what made-up movie drug haunts our panelists’ dreams? It’s a MaxFunDrive spectacular! What’s Good Alonso: shelled pistachios Drea: Life in Looks on YouT...

The new film from Apichatpong Weerasethakul isn’t just a movie – it’s a perpetual roadshow, with plans to keep showing the movie from theater to theater indefinitely ( check out where it's showing for the next few months ). It made a lot of best-of 2021 lists and now that the show is finally on the road, our gang weighs in, joined by LA Times film critic Justing Chang. What’s Good Alonso: A banner...

After months of waiting, a new day has come : ALINE is finally in US theaters, and there’s a lot to talk about. Luckily, the gang doesn’t have to do it all by themselves. Kyle Buchanan (whose NYT review of the movie is quoted prominently in the film’s Wikipedia page) is here to answer questions like, “how much of this is true?” and “is this movie a comedy?” Later, we’ll propose some biopics we wan...

In our unofficial, ongoing series of movies that are hard to summarize, we find ourselves back at the theater for a brand new film that’s operating on a lot of levels (in more than one sense). Then, we find out what car is being hoisted up to the Hall of Excellence rafters, AND form a new super fight squad when Ify, Alonso, and Drea select movie character skillsets to verse-jump into. What’s Good?...

Julia Ducournau’s horror thriller TITANE won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2021 and is now streaming on Hulu. It’s a movie that kinda defies description, but that’s never stopped us before! Plus, we’re nominate some of the Best Movie Cars for the Hall of Excellence. Vroom vroom!! What’s Good? Alonso: Burlap & Barrel’s Pizza Party seasoning Drea: Stitches out! Ify: n/naka anniversary dinner Tod: Play...

Multiple top-Oscar nominations and top-10 list appearances won’t stop this foursome from engaging in a healthy debate over whether Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car is worth the three-hour ride.  What’s Good: Alonso: Maintaining sanity Drea: Pep talks from kindergarteners (707-998-8410) Inkoo: Birria tacos Ify: Masala chai concentrate from Kumquat, Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp ITIDIC West Side S...

Something’s coming; something good? Comedian and film critic Brandon Collins sits in to go over the high notes and low notes of Spielberg’s West Side Story, now streaming. Plus, we play the new Box Office Game together! Will Alonso’s movie trivia prowess also apply to a randomly selected box office weekend?  What's Good : Alonso: permanent daylight savings Drea: kitchen update Brandon: SXSW ITIDIC...

>_Reveal Memory Info:   Sociologist and pop culture expert, Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen, is our guest today, as we unspool the many philosophical threads of AFTER YANG . Plus, a free-for-all movie quiz about One-Named Filmmakers (other than Kogonada)! What's Good : Alonso: a good, cold nap Drea: Milanote Nancy: an uptick in Asian American film Ify: new office! ITIDIC: Zoe Kravitz was told not to audition...

As if being the most watched movie on Netflix in its debut weekend weren't enough, now A MADEA HOMECOMING  (which brings Tyler Perry's famous character out of "retirement" after just three years) has the distinct honor of being discussed by the Maximum Film! gang, plus our esteemed guest, Tre'vell Anderson.  Plus, an ITIDIC packed with brilliant ideas and a Hotline packed with "warm-and-fuzzy" gay...

Melvin Van Peebles' SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG was a monumental moment for Black cinema and a gamechanger for cinema as a whole. Not only are we joined by the great Michael Jai White, whose BLACK DYNAMITE was a direct descendant of SWEETBACK, but his friend Mario Van Peebles (son of Melvin, and star of BAADASSSSS! , which tells the story of the making of today's film) pops in to drop some w...

Dee Rees's first feature, 2011's PARIAH, is a groundbreaking work of queer cinema and an inspiration for director Olivia Peace's own debut film, TAHARA (which premiered at Slamdance in 2020). They first watched it back in high school; so how does it hit different 11 years later? Then, we answer the HOTLINE and consider movie premises that didn't live up to the their promise...s. What’s Good Mentio...