Blockbusters and Birdwalks

This is part of a series about movies based on comic books.  *** Referenced media: “Twilight” (Catherine Hardwicke, 2008) “Interview with the Vampire” (Rolin Jones, 2022) “World War Z” (Marc Forster, 2013) “Beloved” (Jonathan Demme, 1998) “The Last Samurai” (Edward Zwick, 2003) “The Last of the Mohicans” (Michael Mann, 1992) “28 Days Later” (Danny Boyle, 2002) “30 Days of Night” (2002) by Steve Ni...

This is part of a series about movies based on comic books.  *** Referenced media: “Hulk” (Ang Lee, 2003) “Justice League” (1960-now) by Gardner Fox “Promethea” (1999-2005) by Alan Moore, J.H. Williams III, and Mick Gray “300” (1998) by Frank Miller “300” (Zack Snyder, 2007)) “Watchmen” (1986-1987) by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (George Lucas, 1977) “The Incred...

This is part of a series about movies based on comic books.  *** Referenced media: “Point Break” (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991) “Orange Is the New Black” (Jenji Kohan, 2013-2019) “Tank Girl” (1988-now) by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett “A League of Their Own” (Penny Marshall, 1992) “Station Eleven” (Patrick Somerville, 2021-2022) “Crumb” (Terry Zwigoff, 1994) “Casper” (Brad Silberling, 1995) “Batman Forev...

This is part of a series about overlooked movies from 2005.  *** Referenced media: “The Kingdom” (Peter Berg, 2007) “Lebanon” (Samuel Maoz, 2009) “Thank You for Smoking” (Jason Reitman, 2005) “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (Gene Roddenberry, 1987-1994) “Lord of War” (Andrew Niccol, 2005) “Syriana” (Stephen Gaghan, 2005) Audio quotation: “Paradise Now” (Hany Abu-Assad, 2005)

This is part of a series about movies based on comic books.  *** Referenced media: “Superman” (Richard Donner, 1978) “Adventures of Superman” (Whitney Ellsworth and Robert J. Maxwell, 1952-1958) “Batman” (Bob Kane and Bill Finger, 1939-now) “Wonder-Woman” (William Moulton Marston, 1941-now) “Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut” (Richard Donner, 2006) “Spider-Man” (Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, 1962-no...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “A Beautiful Mind” (Ron Howard, 2001) “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (Mike Nichols, 1966) Audio quotation: “Carnal Knowledge” (Mike Nichols, 1971)

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “Song of the South” (Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson, 1946) “The Birth of a Nation” (D.W. Griffith, 1915) “Drum” (Steve Carver, 1976) “Mandingo” (Richard Fleischer, 1975) “Django Unchained” (Quentin Tarantino, 2012) “Gone with the Wind” (Victor Fleming, 1939) “Dirty Harry” (Don Siegel, 1...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “The Wild Bunch” (Sam Peckinpah, 1969) “Jules and Jim” (Francois Truffaut, 1962) “Brokeback Mountain” (Ang Lee, 2005) “Red Dead Redemption” (Steve Martin, Josh Needleman, and David Kunkler, 2010) “A Fistful of Dollars” (Sergio Leone, 1964) “For a Few Dollars More” (Sergio Leone, 1965) “Th...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “The Devils” (Ken Russell, 1971) “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom” (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975) “Arabian Nights” (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975) “The Original Kings of Comedy” (Spike Lee, 2000) “Big Love” (Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, 2006-2011) “Last Temptation of Christ” (Martin Scorsese,...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “The Omega Man” (Boris Sagal, 1971) “The Last Movie” (Dennis Hopper, 1971) “The French Connection” (William Friedkin, 1971) “The Last Picture Show” (Peter Bogdanovich, 1971) “The Big Boss” (Lo Wei, 1971) “Duck, You Sucker!” (Sergio Leone, 1971) “Fiddler on the Roof” (Norman Jewison, 1971)...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “Crimes of Passion” (Ken Russell, 1984) “Deep Throat” (Gerard Damiano, 1972) “Behind the Green Door” (Artie Mitchell and Jim Mitchell, 1972) “Whore” (Ken Russell, 1991) “E.T.” (Steven Spielberg, 1982) “Pretty Woman” (Garry Marshall, 1990) “The Transformers: The Movie” (Nelson Shin, 1986)...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “Benson” (Susan Harris, 1979-1986) “First Cow” (Kelly Reichardt, 2019) “Dances with Wolves” (Kevin Costner, 1990) “Unforgiven” (Clint Eastwood, 1992) “Bonanza” (David Dortort, 1959-1973) “Gunsmoke” (Charles Marquis Warren, 1955-1975) “M*A*S*H” (Robert Altman, 1970) “Nashville” (Robert Alt...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “The Deuce” (George Pelecanos and David Simon, 2017-2019) “Halloween” (John Carpenter, 1978) “Friday the 13th” (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980) “Red Dragon” (Brett Ratner, 2002) “Manhunter” (Michael Mann, 1986) “The Silence of the Lambs” (Jonathan Demme, 1991) “The Godfather” (Francis Ford Copp...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “The Muppet Show” (Jim Henson, 1976-1981) “The Benny Hill Show” (Benny Hill, 1955-1989) “Saturday Night Live” (Lorne Michaels, 1975-now) “The Critic” (Al Jean and Mike Reiss, 1994-1995) “The Simpsons” (Matt Groening, 1989-now) “Manhattan” (Woody Allen, 1979) “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”...

This is part of a series about movies from 1971.  *** Referenced media: “The Big Doll House” (Jack Hill, 1971) “Jurassic Park” (Steven Spielberg, 1993) “The X-Files” (Chris Carter, 1993-2002, 2016-2018) “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) “Wag the Dog” (Barry Levinson, 1997) “Natural Born Killers” (Oliver Stone, 1994) “Citizen Kane” (Orson...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa learn something new about the birds and the bees: avoid “the Great Imitator”. *** Referenced media: “Johnny Dangerously” (Amy Heckerling, 1984) “Gone with the Wind” (Victor Fleming, 1939) “Leave it to Beaver” (Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, 1957-1963) “High School Confidential” (Jack Arnold, 1958) “Reefer Madness” (Louis J. Gasnier, 1936) “The Explosive Generation”...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa glory in Mae West as the avatar of Pre-Code Hollywood *** Referenced media: “Looney Tunes” (Leon Schlesinger, Hugh Harman, and Rudolf Ising, 1930-now) “Angels with Dirty Face” (Michael Curtiz, 1938) “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang” (Mervyn LeRoy, 1932) “Call Her Savage” (John Francis Dillon, 1932) “Safe in Hell” (William A. Wellman, 1931) “Footlight Parade” (L...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa embrace a soap opera in the sky. *** Referenced media: “Airplane!” (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, 1980) “Zero Hour!” (Hall Bartlett, 1957) “One on Top of the Other” (Lucio Fulci, 1969) “Stunt Rock” (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1978) “The Twilight Zone” (Rod Serling, 1959-1964) “An Officer and a Gentleman” (Taylor Hackford, 1982) “All the President’s Me...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa visit where the eagles cry, on a mountain high, far from the world we know, where the clear winds blow. *** Referenced media: “Police Academy” (Hugh Wilson, 1984) “Top Gun” (Tony Scott, 1986) “Entertainment Tonight” (Al Masini, 1981-now) “Conan the Barbarian” (John Milius, 1982) “The Road Warrior” (George Miller, 1981) “Annie” (John Huston, 1982) “Rocky III” (Syl...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa assess prestige kitsch and consider carrying a spathae to defend a London-born Egyptian matriarch. *** Referenced media: “My Fair Lady” (George Cukor, 1964) “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” (Mike Nichols, 1966) “Rome” (John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller, 2005-2007) “All in the Family” (Norman Lear, 1971-1979) “Kill Bill: Volume 1” (Quentin Tarant...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa consider Johnny Cash, a man with many chapters in his book of life, and wonder if they got to see the right one get made into a movie. *** Referenced media: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (James Cameron, 1991) “Ray” (Taylor Hackford, 2004) “Happy Days” (Garry Marshall, 1974-1984) “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Brian Singer, 2018) “A History of Violence” (David Cronenberg, 20...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa examine one middle brow entertainment that earned an inflation-adjusted box office gross of over $1,000,000,000 in North America. *** Referenced media: “The Bridges of Madison County” (Clint Eastwood, 1995) “Indecent Proposal” (Adrian Lyne, 1995) “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (George Lucas, 1977) “In the Heat of the Night” (Norman Jewison, 1967) “On the Wa...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa analyze the sleeper hit of summer 2023. *** Referenced media: “The Passion of the Christ” (Mel Gibson, 2004) “Law & Order: SVU” (Dick Wolf, 1999-now) “God’s Not Dead” (Harold Cronk, 2014) “First Blood” (Ted Kotcheff, 1982) “Columbiana” (Olivier Megaton, 2011) “The Equalizer” (Antoine Fuqua, 2014) “Survivor” (Charlie Parsons, 2000-now) “Spider-Man: Across the...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa consider whether it’s worth having the best-paid, part-time job in the history of movies. *** Referenced media: “Saturday Night Live” (Lorne Michaels, 1975-now) “Gran Torino” (Clint Eastwood, 2008) “A Star is Born” (Bradley Cooper, 2018) “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Brian Singer, 2018) “Green Book” (Peter Farrelly, 2018) “The Favourite” (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018) “American...

Garrett Chaffin-Quiray and Ed Rosa discuss Alma, a high school girl boiling over with sexual curiosity in a small Norwegian town. *** Referenced media: “Top Gun” (Tony Scott, 1986) “The Hunger Games” (Gary Ross, 2012) “American Pie” (Paul Weitz, 1999) “American Reunion” (Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, 2012) “The Avengers” (Joss Whedon, 2012) Audio quotation: “Turn Me On, Goddammit!” (Jannicke...