Film Optimists

For decades some of the greatest and most interesting films have come from South Korea. While they've come up before, its about time we dedicate an episode to one of these films. In this episode we discuss last year's No Other Choice. This is the latest film from Park Chan-wook, one of the leading figure in Korean and world cinema. No Other Choice follows a man who is laid off after faithf...

In this episode we discuss Bugonia directed by the Greek Director Yorgos Lanthimos. The scfi/dark comedy follows Jesse Plemons as a conspiracy theorist who is convinced that the CEO (played by Emma Stone) of a major company is in fact an Alien. Not just any alien, a a member of an alien race that is actively trying to destroy earth. The plan is to kidnap her and force her to admit to her that she...

We're turning our focus to American Independent Cinema this episode in covering John Cassavetes, A Woman Under the Influence. The film was written for, and stars, Cassavetes wife Gena Rowlands as a working class housewife who struggles' include mental illness. Rowlands' performance is nothing short of extraordinary and earned her great acclaim, including an Academy award nomination for...

Happy Spring Everybody! To celebrate the season we have an early Easter episode with The Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Why are a couple of nonbeliever's talking about a religious movie? That can be answered in three words. Pier Paolo Pasolini. The vastly influential, and controversial, Italian filmmaker directed the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. The film finds Pasolini at perhaps his...

Its time for our annual top 5 episode! We'll be discussing the top 5 movies we each saw last year, not necessarily movies that came out last year. We'll also be discussing the Oscar nominees, who want to win and who will most likely win. Let us know some of your favorite watches from last year in the comments!

Its been a long time coming, but we're finally doing a Martin Scorsese episode. With a career that spans over 6 decades and includes several masterpieces, we had plenty of options to choose from. We went with one we consider underrated, yet deeply influential. The King of Comedy from 1982. The film stars Robert De Niro (in one of his ten collaborations with Scorsese) as a self proclaimed comed...

Happy Halloween, Optimists! In light of the holiday, our obligatory horror episode is dedicated to one of the most anticipated releases this year, Zach Cregger's second feature film Weapons . A town is riddled with anxiety and fear when an entire classroom of students willingly run away from their homes at 2:17am, leaving behind one teacher and student. Dubbed a "must watch" by Megan...

We are joined once again by artist and author Adam Melster of ACM Designs to discuss Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg. There is a strong case to be made that Jurassic Park is the perfect blockbuster. It's at times frightening and at times funny. It discusses important and interesting ethical questions. It does this while remaining family-friendly and well paced. The special effects a...

We covered blockbusters and Hollywood classics in the last couple of episodes, so it's time for another hidden gem. Gems don't get much more hidden than Hundreds of Beavers . Hundreds of Beavers is an indie film, shot in black and white, with nearly no dialog. Sound serious? It's not. It's a ridiculous slapstick comedy that hearkens back to silent comedies like those made by Buster...

We're back revisiting the director that started it all for the pod, Peter Weir, and a film that attuned listeners have heard before: The Truman Show . A stylistic favorite for Megan and Seth, the 1998 cult classic stars Jim Carrey in a career-defining dramatic role. We unpack the film’s eerie foresight into reality TV, surveillance culture, and the blurred line between authenticity and perform...

We're joined by friend and film buff Jeremy Blandin to discuss the historical war drama, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World . The film stars Russell Crowe as the captain of a Royal Navy brigade that quickly becomes ensnared in a game of cat and mouse with an enemy vessel during the Napoleonic Wars. The stakes are high but the humanity is surprisingly present. The film is one of th...

We've talked Star Wars so we are now contractually obligated to talk Star Trek . Who better to join us than our friend and Sci Fi aficionado Riley Gerberick. With 14 films from 5 decades to choose from, Riley selected Star Trek: Nemesis . Riley makes the case that Nemesis is not only an severely underrated movie, but that it is drastically better than another beloved film in the franchise. Which o...

Our good friend Allie Felker joins us to discuss one of the most popular movies of all time: Star Wars ! The original film was released in 1977, and the world has never been the same ever since. Everyone knows the film was written and directed by George Lucas, but who are some the unsung heroes that made Star Wars so successful? How political is Star Wars and how has our perspective of that change...

We're joined by special guest Muir Mulholland to discuss The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by two legendary filmmakers, the Coen Brothers. The film is a western anthology featuring 6 vignettes. The film is unlike anything the Coen Brothers have done before, yet it also feels like a culmination of everything they've accomplished in their decades long career. The cast includes Time Blake Nelson, Tom Wait...

A new episode, from the vault! We are graced once again by former guest Jim Briggs to discuss Christopher Nolan's The Prestige . The Prestige is a thriller staring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as rival magicians in the Victorian age. What do we mean by "from the vault?"; well, this episode was recorded nearly a year ago but was lost until recently. So please bear with some outdated references a...

It's here folks, our annual Top 5 episode! As per usual we will each count down our top 5 movies we saw in 2024. To qualify movies don't have to come out in 2024, they just had to be seen by us for the first time last year. We'll also discuss honorable mentions and our most anticipated films of this year. What were your favorites, and what are you looking forward to seeing in 2025? Let...

On January 15, 2025 the world lost David Lynch. Lynch was a filmmaker and artist who's influence cannot be overstated. In honor of his life, we are revisiting one his masterpieces, Blue Velvet. We also discuss his legacy, our loss, and theorize why his films connected with so many on such a deep level, including us.

In this episode we discuss Babak Jalali's latest film, Fremont . Though it may not be a town most people are familiar with, Fremont is a place that is near and dear to our hearts for several reasons, chief among them being it's Megan's hometown. The film follows Donya, an Afghan refugee who struggles to adapt to her new life. Donya is played by first time actor Anaita Wali Zada. This is a beautifu...

Happy Holidays All! The big day has come and gone but we're keeping spirits bright by dwelling on the thing that matters most: Paul Giamatti. That's right, we're talking about the modern holiday classic, The Holdovers . Set in a New England boarding school in 1970, Paul Giamatti stars as a Paul Hunham, an absolute curmudgeon of teacher who is stuck chaperoning students with no where else to go ove...

We're back to discuss another titan of cinema, and arguably the most influential director of all time: Akira Kurosawa. With a career spanning six decades, his influence can be felt on everything from the works of Ingmar Bergman to A Bug's Life . His films have been remade, directly or indirectly, dozens of times all over the world. What is it about his work that resonates so greatly with world, ev...

We're BACK and are celebrating the 45th anniversary of Ridley Scott's Alien . The film launched the ongoing franchise and is considered among the greatest and most influential films in both the horror and science fiction genres. Alien has an incredible art design, so we've brought in an expert to talk about it. Joining us in the conversation is visual artist, Adam Melster of ACM Design...

We're joined once again by friend of the podcast Aaron Mccray-Goldsmith, to talk about Saltburn --perhaps the most viral film from 2023 that wasn't about a doll or a bomb. The film is a dark comic thriller that follows Barry Keoghan as he integrates himself into the lives of a wealthy family. The film is funny, strange, unexpected, and drenched in early aughts nostalgia. The film also star...

With his latest film currently in production, Paul Thomas Anderson has been on our minds. We took this opportunity to look back one of his masterpieces, There Will Be Blood (2007). Set during the southern California oil boom of the turn of the century, the film has at its core a rivalry between an oilman (played by Daniel Day Lewis in an oscar winning role) and a local priest (played by Paul Dano)...

Okay folks, we're a little late to this but, Happy 2024! As usual, we're kicking off the year with our now tradition of listing our 5 favorite films we saw in 2023. These don't have to be films that were released in 2023, just films we saw for the first time in 2023. Hear us countdown our favorites, and let us know yours in the comments!

Happy Holidays, Optimists! We're back with an exciting episode featuring a returning guest, and our first sequel! Special guest Ann Boyd joins us once again for a conversation about our favorite murder solving power couple, Nick and Nora Charles in After the Thin Man . The sequel swaps New York City for San Francisco as our heroes return home for what they hope will be a relaxing New Year'...