Maximum Film!

We kick things off with New Movie Year Resolutions for 2024. Then, as promised in our Best of '23 episode, we've collected our thoughts on Jonathan Glazer's heavy and chilling new film -- the one the LA Film Critics Association voted as best of the year. Then, we lighten the mood with a movie quiz about who lives next door (to movie protagonists).  What’s Good Alonso - AGNÈS VARDA: DIRECTOR'S INSP...

The year is coming to a close, and we’ve got our annual roundup of Top 10 Lists, Maxie Awards, and films we’re looking forward to in the New Year.  Thanks for sharing another great (if dramatic!) movie podcasting year with us!  What’s Good? Alonso - Professional gift wrappers Drea - Listener Lee Meredith’s Color Squared Ify - Ify’s Carol Fest 2023 Between the 3 hosts, 21 titles made the top 10 lis...

It’s been two decades since Richard Curtis’s Love Actually warmed our chilly W. Bush-era hearts, and oh what a pair of decades it’s been. Now, the movie is back in theaters for its anniversary, and Ify has seen it for the first time. Does it hold up? Can we enjoy it anyway? All this, plus the final Xmas Movie Minute of the year and a hotline call from [checks notes] inside the house! What’s Good A...

Alonso has been hyping Poor Things since Venice, and now his Breakfast All Day co-host Christy Lemire is making her first (!) appearance on MaxFilm to discuss it! Plus, we pitch reimagined monster movies where anything goes. What’s Good Alonso - a theatrical re-release moment ( Love Actually and Die Hard ) Christy - Christmas cookies Drea - magnesium glycinate ITIDIC Great Gerwig Gets Her First Di...

Some movies are horny, some are freaky, and some are for filthy, horny freaks. Our hosts way in on this philosophy (along with The Afternoon Special 's Bobbi Miller) in our conversations about SALTBURN, starring every inch of Barry Keoghan and  also Jacob Elordi is there. Then, a timely discussion of films where you wish the leads would just kiss already. What’s Good Alonso - “Lil Cinephile” board...

Alexander Payne's latest (following films like ELECTION, SIDEWAYS, and NEBRASKA)  is a Christmas movie, sort of! But forget we said that... We're unwrapping THE HOLDOVERS! Plus, memorable dinner scenes from film history, a Hotline letter about therapy on screen, and a Christmas movie minute! What’s Good Alonso - Matt Rogers’ Have You Heard of Christmas? On vinyl Drea - paint by numbers canvas Ify...

Unsung civil rights hero Bayard Rustin gets his due at last, courtesy of our guy Colman Domingo. Then, since Thanksgiving was this week, we dole out our honorary Turkeys of the Year. Plus, Christmas Movie Minute ramps into high gear! What’s Good Alonso - Tru-Tone Christmas Lights Drea - Yorkshire Tea Biscuit Brew Ify - Christmas at the Americana ITIDIC Awards Ceremony News (also this ) Animation I...

It’s the 33rd MCU movie and things have gotten complicated. But is all that complexity propping The Marvels up, or weighing it down? Our trio, who are surprisingly well-versed in Marveldom for a bunch of indie nerds, weighs in. Then, a Hotline letter about characters whose deaths still sting.  What’s Good Alonso - The Abyss theatrical reissue Drea - the new artistic director of Bentonville Film Fe...

As Alonso says, Priscilla Presley’s life was a Sofia Coppola movie before it was literally a Sofia Coppola movie. Now, that movie has come to pass…and former Producer Casey O’Brien is here to bask in the pastel glow! Then, a movie quiz that could only be called “NAME that movie.” What’s Good Alonso - SiriusXM Holiday Channels Drea - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan Casey - Minn...

Maryam Keshavarz’s semi-autobiographical film won awards at Sundance and jumps between tones as it switches from the perspective of daughter, mother, and grandmother. Our hosts, along with guest Artemis Pebdani, talk about the effect of THE PERSIAN VERSION, then share some of their favorite genre-bending (or genre-defying) films. What’s Good Drea - Q&A Moderation Season Artemis - Celebrating Hallo...

The hosts of Maximum Film! don't have all the answers, but they do have their own answer to the questions "What if I drank 10 glasses of water before seeing a 206-minute movie?" "Is it okay for a movie to be 206 minutes long?" and "What directors and actors do you want to see work together for 206 minutes or more?" These and many more answers await in our KILLER OF THE FLOWER MOON episode (which c...

Director Justine Triet's Palme D'Or winner ANATOMY OF A FALL is finally appearing in American theaters, and our trio is ready to deliver a verdict. Plus, a new round of Hall of Excellence nominees that really puts the witness on the stand. What’s Good Alonso - New American terminal at DFW Drea - Maria Lewis’s latest book, The Graveyard Shift Ify - quick trip to perform in NYC ITIDIC Over 2000 Prod...

When a UCB show (called Fucking Identical Twin s) becomes A24’s first musical, it’s safe to expect the unexpected. Joined by actor, writer, and comedian Drew Droege, the gang takes an intimate look at Dicks , followed by a quiz about body parts in what is surely our most mature episode to date. What’s Good Alonso - Phaidon’s The Christmas Book Drea - Nailtiques Drew - Bret Easton Ellis, The Shards...

Director John Carney has a very particular set of skills…this week, the gang discusses those skills and how they’re on display in his latest, FLORA AND SON, starring Eve Hewson. Then, we debate a Hotline question about works of genius. What's Good Alonso - Bing and Billie and Frank and Ella and Judy and Barbra by Dan Callahan Drea - extra large green seedless grapes Siobhan - going out to dinner I...

It’s getting spooky (and even a little sad) in the world of Branagh Poirot, but don’t worry it’s still cozy! Cozier than ever, perhaps. We’ve got Gillian Walters, Poirot fan and arbitress of all things cozy (which is the name of her podcast), here to help us tell you all about this mystery movie with as few spoilers as possible. What’s Good  Alonso - Historically Black Phrases Gillian - Morro Bay’...

A new film directed by Roger Ross Williams tells the true story of luchador Saúl Armendáriz, who was determined to fight and win on his own terms as Cassandro…and made (gay) history in the process. Then, we’ll take a look at some other documentary-to-drama story arcs. What’s Good Alonso - Ava DuVernay’s “Lights, Caramel, Action” Drea - “Body’s choice” weekend in Palm Springs Ify - Talking Heads Q&...

What’s Good Alonso - the existence of Hallmark’s Notes of Autumn Drea - library card sign up month Kahea - night walks/Rick Rubin’s book Ify - football stuff, The Challenge , new paints for tiny boys…and oh, Beyonce ITIDIC Over 200 Filmmakers and Actors Signed a Letter Asking TIFF to Drop RBC Sponsor NB: This story was updated after recording with even more actors signing on - Kahea mentions Yea!...

What’s Good Alonso - Bellota Bellota Drea - Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Brandy - Video Patreon Feed Julie - new kitten (getting his nails trimmed) Ify - weekend trip, painting tiny boys ITIDIC Taylor Swift’s Studio-Free Surprise Concert Film Alonso is Back From Venice! Festival Recap in a strange year… Staff Picks Drea - You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Alonso - Strange World Bran...

What’s Good Alonso - Ben & Jerry’s Gimme S’more  Drea - Inkoo Kang’s Newsletter, This Was Cool Carlos - Return to the dry heat of LA Ify - Aunts in town and cooking ITIDIC DUNE 2 Pushed to 2024 Los Angeles Is Having an Art House Moment 8.5 Million People Went to Theaters on National Cinema Day Carlos’s LA Times Piece about Blue Beetle ’s cultural references Staff Picks Drea - Our Father the Devil...

From Sundance 2023 to an arthouse screen near you, MUTT is the first feature from director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz. Starring Lío Mehiel as Feña, it tells the story of a young trans guy who is having a pretty stressful day navigating surprises from his ex, his little sister, his father, and the city at large. We discuss the film, and the nominate Best One-Day Movies to the Hall of Excellence (Vote on ou...

This week, we’re talking about a very special book-to-film adaptation: Red, White & Royal Blue. Our guest is the charming Traci Thomas of The Stacks podcast!  * Just a quick disclaimer to our listeners, we had some audio troubles during this week’s episode.  What’s Good Alonso -  Keith Haring: Art is For Everybody at The Broad  Traci - Trader Joe’s Root Beer Float Bars  Ify - Public Libraries  ITI...

We’re finally completing our Barbenheimer review experience by talking about Oppenheimer with the lovely Tom Lum of Let’s Learn Everything !  What’s Good Alonso -  Only Murders In The Building (Season 3) Drea - Midwest Vacay  Tom - Carly Rae Jepsen  Ify - Dr. Pepper Strawberries and Cream Strawberry Soda  ITIDIC An AI Program Imagined Barbies From Around the World and Wouldn’t You Know It, They Tu...

What’s Good Alonso - Heartstoppers S2 Dave - Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators Ify - Diablo 4: Season of the Malignant ITIDIC Remembering Paul Reubens Bradley Cooper is Skipping the Venice Premiere of MAESTRO in SAG-AFTRA Solidarity Stunt Performers and Actors Working to End “Paintdowns” and “Wiggings” Post-Strike Staff Picks Dave - Fresh (1994) Alonso - I Am Somebody...

We've been on BARBIE-watch for what seems like forever. Now we've literally watched Barbie and our lives may never be the same. We've got Margot Robbie's countrywoman (and our good pal) Maria Lewis here, so...let's go party! What’s Good Alonso - Sydney’s omelet Drea - Who shat on the floor at my wedding? Maria - Oppenheimer and the Barbenheimer vibes Ify - pool ITIDIC Barbie Sets Record Best Openi...

First, we tell you all about the SAG-AFTRA strike; then, it's the theater godmothers vs. the film critics as we look at the new comedy THEATER CAMP. Finally, the gang aces a quiz about made-up movie musicals (which has been edited to include audio clips for listeners at home; in the recording, all guesses were made without audio clues, other than about 3 notes from NY/LA ). And staff picks! What a...