Cinema Bones

CW: Police brutality, racism, and sexual assault discussed in relation to the plot and themes of the film. After an extended (and accidental) hiatus, Masie & Stuart are finally back with a new monthly schedule to dissect the unfortunately topical 1995 Kathryn Bigelow cyberpunk action film Strange Days. Starring Ralph Fiennes as the most pathetic ex-cop ever dealing street illegal VR-esque tech on...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart close out their examination of the filmography of Goro Miyazaki by checking out his second feature film, From Up On Poppy Hill. Has Goro learned any lessons from his first directorial outing with Tales from Earthsea? Or does he crash straight downhill? Listen as our hosts discuss this film's interesting historical setting, architecture, and character designs, but al...

In this episode, Masie and Stuart take a boat to the fantasy lands of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea book series for Studio Ghibli's 2006 adaptation titled Tales from Earthsea. Along with the director Goro Miyazaki, this film has quite a negative reputation among Ghibli's otherwise illustrious catalogue of animated productions. But does it deserve said reputation? Well, our hosts on their travels un...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart finally wrap up their pride month duo after a moving hiatus by digging up the 2017 queer coming of age film Call Me By Your Name. A critical and financial success upon its release, Luca Guadagnino and James Ivory's film adaptation of Andre Aciman's novel has garnered a much messier reputation in the eight years since due to its age gap romance and the unfortunate pr...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart celebrate pride month by watching Andrew Ahn's 2022 film Fire Island, a loose adaptation of Pride and Prejudice set on the titular gay resort. As queer fans of Jane Austen, our hosts find much to admire in this film's smart adaptation decisions and joyful, but critical examination of gay male community that subverts and examines stereotypes around race, class, and b...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart arrive in a galaxy far far away to complete their tribunal of JJ Abram's by covering Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Unearthing over a decade of mixed (mostly negative) feelings about this sequel trilogy, our hosts find that while they are still compelled by the characters and their actors' performances, there are many early signs of the confused, aimless direction fu...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart begin an epic journey into space to examine the sci-fi franchise reboots of director JJ Abrams. Beginning with his 2009 Star Trek film, our hosts find much to appreciate about the movie's casting and set design. However, our resident Trekkie Masie has more than a few critiques. From 2009-era misogyny, to a script more interested in being high octane and action-packe...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart return to the world of animation to cover the strange 2002 anime film, A Tree of Palme, directed by Takashi Nakamura. A critical and financial failure upon its release, this odd Pinocchio-inspired sci-fi adventure movie has faded into obscurity over the years, but our hosts are here to spread the word that this film may be deserving of a reappraisal! Listen as they...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart finally enter the world of animation by discussing the 2023 film Nimona. Rescued from Disney's closure of its production studio, our hosts find plenty to appreciate about this queer kid's adventure flick. How does it hold up compared to the original graphic novel by ND Stevenson though? Listen as our hosts discuss the film's lovable characters and crazy production h...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart get kidnapped and taken on a crazy roadtrip by Jonathan Demme's 1986 comedy-thriller film Something Wild. The second part of Stuart's pairing of manic-pixie dream girl films, our hosts find much to discuss about this film whose tone, characters, and plot developments are truly... well, wild. Listen as our hosts gush about the film's shockingly likable male protagoni...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart take a flight back to 2002 to examine Paul Thomas Anderson's romantic comedy film Punch-Drunk Love. Part of Stuart's pairing of manic-pixie dream girl films, they went in expecting to find more to critique, but mostly have positive things to say! From the considered and striking cinematography, to the excellent lead performances by Adam Sandler and Emily Watson, the...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart take a look at an alternate vision of 2025 in Spike Jonze's 2013 sci-fi romance film Her. The second part of their examination of the divorce films of Spike Jonze and Sofia Coppola, our hosts scroll through to find a film made up of beautiful surfaces with a cynical view of romance beneath the surface. Listen as they discuss the film's beautiful production design an...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart take a (imaginary) trip to Japan to examine the 2003 Oscar-darling film, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation. The first part of a duology covering the divorce films of Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze, our hosts find themselves treading in familiar Coppola-territory. How does this story of two priveleged people experiencing isolation and existential crises in Tokyo hol...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart return to the Green Hills of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise to discuss its second live-action feature film Sonic the Hedgehog 2. How does this sequel compare to the first? Is it faster and stronger, or does it struggle to get off to a speedy start? Listen as our hosts discuss the film's many improvements from its predecessor as well as its repeated failures. Then,...

In the episode, Masie & Stuart gotta run (not so fast) through the 2020 film Sonic the Hedgehog in preparation of the video game adaptation franchise's third installment releasing this month. Along the way, our hosts discuss the film's surprising strengths as well as its annoyingly Millenial sense of humor. Listen as they ponder over the interesting implications of Sonic's film backstory and how t...

In this episode Malkovich Malkovich Malkovi--**cough cough Excuse me. In this episode, Masie & Stuart rediscover the surreal 1999 dramedy film Being John Malkovich: the feature film debut of both director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlier Kaufman. Crossing the small threshold into the film's strange world, our hosts find a bevy of amazing actor performances and a compelling set of themes. List...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart return to the aisles of 2000's feminine cinema with the 2005 film adaptation of Jennifer Weiner's sibling drama novel In Her Shoes. Perusing the film's selection of pairs, our hosts discover a shockingly compelling family melodrama that thoughtfully tackles themes of mental illness and generational trauma in a way uncommon for other films of its era. Listen as our h...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart take a trip back to Italy where they explore the warm and fuzzy 2003 film adaptation of Frances Mayes' memoir Under the Tuscan Sun. Searching through the streets of Tuscany presented on screen, our hosts find a lot to enjoy about director and writer Audrey Wells' film. Listen as they discuss the charming performances of Diane Lane and Sandra Oh, the film's generally...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart take a trip to the cruel and twisted realm of Ryan Murphy with his wildly successful 2010 film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling memoir Eat Pray Love. Garnering its fair share of criticism over the years, our hosts sample the film's bizarre brand of white feminism and its often racist portrayal of countries in the Global South, while trying to find the p...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart return to the realm of space operas with the Wachowski sisters' sci-fi blockbuster film Jupiter Ascending. A critical and finacial failure upon release, the reputation of this movie is often quite negative in online film circles. However, our hosts are here to argue that it might have some compelling ideas... some 90's shojo isekai ideas in fact. Listen as our hosts...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart revisit the Wachowski Sisters' & Tom Tykwer's 2012 epic Cloud Atlas. Developing a cult-following since its initial divisive release, how does this messy conceptual adaptation of the 2004 David Mitchell novel of the same name hold up? Well, our hosts return from their autopsy with some unfortunate findings! Listen as they delve into the film's fascinating creative ch...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart excavate the queer lesbian historical drama film Ammonite (2020) directed by Francis Lee. Sparking minor discourse on social media upon its release, the film received negative comparisons to its genre contemporary from the previous year, A Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Are these comparisons fair though? Listen as our hosts dissect Ammonite's own unique tonal, aestheti...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart discuss the gay cult classic film My Own Private Idaho as part of their (belated) look at queer cinema for Pride Month. What are the bones that make this quirky road trip film so iconic? Is its strangness a strength, or has it made it age poorly? Listen to find out as our hosts examine the movie's stunning fashion, the captivating performance of the character Mike W...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart have gone to their local theaters and returned with spicy takes about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the prequel and follow up to Max Mad: Fury Road. How does the same creative team prelude that iconic 2015 action film 9 years after its initial release? Does it hold a candle to it or spin out crash on the side of the road? Listen as our hosts dissect the movie's various u...

In this episode, Masie & Stuart delve into the metallic, guzzoline-fueled post-apocalypse of Mad Max Fury Road (2015). Critically beloved on its release in 2015 and with a new prequel out this year in the form of Furiosa: A Mad Saga, how does this original film hold up 9 years later? Listen as our hosts struggle to find a flaw in this film's irradiated desert wastelands in a shockingly positive ep...