Call It, Friendo

This week, we discuss the Before Trilogy from director Richard Linklater: Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) & Before Midnight (2013). The 3 films follow a couple, Celine and Jesse, played by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, as their relationship progresses over the course of almost 20 years. All 3 films were warmly received by audiences and critics alike with the second and third entries als...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the latest entry to the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). The film is director Sam Raimi’s first Marvel superhero film since 2007’s Spider-Man 3.   What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:48) Donnchadh – Moon Knight, Curb Your Enthusiasm season 9, Ozark season 1, X, First Reformed Andy – Moon Knight, Russian Doll season 1 and 2   Doctor Strange in...

This week, we discuss two films from award-winning Italian directors. The first is Last Tango in Paris (1972), a controversial film from Bernardo Bertolucci depicting a fraught sexual relationship between a middle-aged American man (Marlon Brando) and a young French woman (Maria Schneider). Despite the controversy surrounding the film, it was a huge financial and critical success, earning almost $...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the new film from director Robert Eggers, The Northman (2022). The film stars Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, a Viking prince who sets out on a quest to avenge the murder of his father.   What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:50) Donnchadh – The Thin Red Line, Anatomy of a Scandal, This Is Going to Hurt, Super Pumped, Halt and Catch Fire Season 1 Andy – Utopia Season 1,...

This week, we discuss 3 films from celebrated American indie director Sean Baker. First, we discuss Tangerine (2015), a comedy-drama about 2 transgender prostitutes in a notorious neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Next, we talk about The Florida Project (2017), a story of a young mother and child living in a motel just outside Walt Disney World. The film earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for W...

In this week’s episode, we discuss CODA (2021), the Best Picture winner at the 94th Academy Awards. The film, which is a remake of a 2014 French/Belgian film (La Famille Bélier), stars Emilia Jones as Ruby, a child with a deaf family who dreams of becoming a singer. The film also won Best Adapted Screenplay and co-star Troy Kotsur won Best Supporting Actor.   What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:50) Do...

This week, we discuss two celebrated German films. The first is Toni Erdmann (2016), a comedy drama written and directed by Maren Ade. It tells the story of a father attempting to reconnect with his adult daughter. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. The second is Victoria (2015), a ground-breaking one-take thriller starring Laia Costa as the titular Victo...

In this week’s episode, we discuss The Worst Person in the World (2022), the Oscar-nominated romantic comedy/drama from director Joachim Trier. The film tells the story of Julie, a young woman navigating the trials and tribulations of life in modern Norway. It premiered in competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, with Renate Reinsve winning the Best Actress award.   What We’ve Been Watching (...

This week, we discuss two films from Italian horror director Dario Argento. The first is Deep Red (1975), a “Giallo” horror film which tells the story of an English musician in Italy who investigates a series of brutal murders. The score was composed and performed by the band Goblin. The second is Suspiria (1977), Argento’s highly acclaimed follow-up to Deep Red, co-written with his then-wife Dari...

In this week’s episode, we discuss The Batman (2022), Matt Reeves’ brooding take on Gotham’s caped crusader. The film, which stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman, pitches its protagonists against familiar foes in the shape of The Riddler (Paul Dano) and The Penguin (Colin Farrell). The film is the first in a planned trilogy, with 2 HBO Max spin-o...

This week, we discuss two films from the so-called New French Extremity movement. The first is Martyrs (2008), a psychological horror film written and directed by Pascal Laugier. The film tells the story of a young woman, Lucie, seeking revenge on the people who abducted and tortured her. The second is Titane (2021), Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or-winning film about Alexia, a woman who, after being...

In this week’s episode, we start by discussing this year’s Academy Award nominations before moving into talk about what we’ve been watching over the last couple of weeks. We finish up with a short discussion of season one of the Amazon TV series, Reacher, based on the Lee Childs novel, Killing Floor.   Oscar nominations 2022 (00:03:50)   What We’ve Been Watching (00:19:25)   Andy – Uncharted, The...

This week, we discuss two American comedy films from the late 90’s / early 2000’s. The first is Dirty Work (1998), a cult classic starring stand-up comedians Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange as two friends who start a revenge-for-hire business. The second is Black Knight (2001), a fantasy adventure starring comic Martin Lawrence as a theme park worker in Los Angeles who is magically transported back...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Scream (2022), the 5th film in the Scream slasher series. The film, which features a variety of new characters alongside legacy characters from the original film, is the first not directed by legendary horror filmmaker (and friend of the show) Wes Craven. The film has already grossed over $100 million from a $24 million budget.   What We’ve Been Watching (00:01:0...

This week, we discuss the films of Australian director Justin Kurzel. We briefly talk about Snowtown (2011), Macbeth (2015) and Assassin’s Creed (2016) before going into a more in-depth breakdown of his two most recent films: 2019’s True History of the Kelly Gang and 2021’s Nitram. True History of the Kelly Gang is an adaptation of the Booker prize-winning novel by Peter Carey. It stars George Mac...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Adam McKay’s follow-up to The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018), 2021’s Don’t Look Up. The film, distributed by Netflix, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as a pair of scientists struggling to convince the American public and government that an extinction-level asteroid is heading towards the Earth. The film received 4 Golden Globe nominations, includi...

This week we discuss two neo-noir mysteries from the last few years. The first is Motherless Brooklyn (2019), starring, written for the screen and directed by Edward Norton. He probably did the catering as well. The second is Under the Silver Lake (2018), David Robert Mitchell’s difficult follow-up to Horror smash It Follows (2014).   Timestamps   Motherless Brooklyn (00:00:58)   Under the Silver...

In this week’s episode, we start by talking about what we’ve been watching over the last couple of weeks, move into discussing the best (and worst) films and TV shows we watched in 2021, and finish up talking about the 1999 Sci-Fi Adventure Comedy, Galaxy Quest.   What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:48)   Andy – Station Eleven, Cobra Kai Season 4, The Kid Detective, The Wire Season 5, MacGruber (TV sh...

In this bonus episode, recorded shortly after the release of the film, we discuss: - Why the MCU works - What constitutes "fan service" - Our cinema experience with No Way Home - The story beats, reveals and surprise appearances ---This episode contains spoilers for the film right from the start---

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 2003 Ridley Scott con film, Matchstick Men. The film stars Nicolas Cage as conman and OCD-sufferer Roy Waller in a typically unhinged performance. While it was generally well-received, with Roger Ebert giving it 4 stars, the film only grossed $65 million worldwide from a $62 million budget.   What We’ve Been Watching (00:00:50)   Donnchadh - Fargo Season 3, T...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 1986 basketball film, Hoosiers. The film, directed by David Anspaugh and written by Angelo Pizzo, stars Gene Hackman as down on his luck Norman Dale, a previously successful college basketball coach in New York now reduced to coaching at a rural Indiana high school. The film is widely regarded as one of the most inspirational sports movies of all time and eve...

In this week’s episode, we discuss Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam war film, Platoon. The film, based on Stone's own war experience, stars Charlie Sheen as a young soldier pitched into brutal warfare alongside a group of men led by two polarised commanding officers, the hardened and cynical Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), and the more idealistic and reasonable Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe). The...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 2011 Indonesian action thriller, The Raid: Redemption. The film, directed by Welsh director Gareth Evans, pitches a small band of police officers against a tower of brutal gangsters. It showcases the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat, with fight choreography largely mapped out by the film's stars, Iko Uwais and Yahan Ruhian. Thanks to its success, Evans...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 1982 John Carpenter classic, The Thing. Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella, Who Goes There?, The Thing tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who are terrorised by an extraterrestrial capable of assimilating and mimicking other lifeforms. Originally panned by most critics, the film came to be critically reappraised and is...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the 1972 disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure. Based on the 1969 novel by Paul Gallico, the film tells the story of a group of passengers fighting to survive when an ocean liner struck by a huge wave flips over in the Mediterranean. With an all-star cast featuring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine and Shelley Winters, the film was a commercial and critical success....