Have You Ever Seen

Warning: if you're a racist, you're not going to like this episode. If you're a phony patriot, you're not going to like this episode. If you're a know-it-all SJW, you're not going to like the end of this episode. That said, we welcome feedback (@moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis) if you think we're off the mark in the Next 198 Project. Even if you feel we deserve some serious grief, message us. We'r...

Get your, uh, self to Mars…or into a lengthy listen of the Next 197 Project. Whichever you've been dreaming about more, I guess. We spent plenty of time debating the "is it real or is it a fantasy" angle with this zany plot, which is perfectly appropriate for an open-ended movie like this. What might have been a head-scratching sci-fi picture is instead an ultra-violent F/X-heavy, Ah-nuld vehicle....

It's Memorial Day in the United States, but instead of covering a bloody war flick, we decided to talk about the (failed) War On Drugs. Steven Soderbergh's Oscar-winner is complicated, complex, even confusing and it's certainly not afraid to tread a new path with its style and look. The experimental director beautifully balances the 3 main stories in Stephen Gaghan's script, even if he doesn't sho...

Bonus episode! We were off yesterday, but couldn't resist talking today. For the 3rd occasion during these gloomy housebound times, we try to plant a big fat smile (or maybe even 2 and 1/2 big fat smiles) on your face with a fun chat about motion pictures we think you should seek out. We're also good enough to let you know where you can find them online. The rules: we each have 4 suggestions and w...

We've got a special episode for the Next 195 Project as we rave about—yup, the title isn't lying—our favourite funny films. It's the will-never-be-topped, locked-in-stone BEST comedies ever (subject to change at a moment's notice), but we mentioned probably another 200 or 300 flicks on top of those Top 10 beloveds. First, though, you'll hear us jam about some awesome comedy actors & directors, the...

May the 4th be with you! Since it's Star Wars Day and we've already covered the Original Trilogy (look for those eps way back years ago on this channel), this seemed like a good time to jam about a spoof of the most famous movie franchise ever. Like all Mel Brooks movies, Spaceballs is 20 light years away from being perfect, but it remains goofily funny and quotable. Rick Moranis is also the great...

Bonus episode! For the 2nd time during the pandemic, we offer up a pithy gab where we give you some ideas about flicks you should let enter your eyeholes during this isolating time. We even tell you where you can find them. Each Ellis has 4 recommendations (using 19 words to sell you the movie, although we cheated a bit here and there) and there are 11 trivia questions as well, giving us a grand t...

For the Next 193 Project, we've got a smart satire about dumb people. The whole cast is awfully good (okay, Bev takes issue with one person's performance), but this was Nicole Kidman's breakout after playing second fiddle for most of the first decade of her illustrious career. The deliciously diabolical dummy she plays here is one of the most unsung performances of the '90s. We hashed out how  Gus...

We haven't covered the controversial Woody Allen since we reviewed Annie Hall 5 years ago, but The Purple Rose Of Cairo has just gotta be seen and discussed. It's one of the man's best efforts. We spent 5 or 6 minutes near the top jawing about his very tainted legacy in this Next 192 Project, but the majority of the show gets into the bittersweet delights in the 35-year-old flick. Mia Farrow  and ...

If you're looking for a funny satire about identity and 1980s consumerism, then Mary Harron's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' book might be exactly what you're craving. Or maybe you just want to ogle Christian Bale's half-naked body in all its perfection. If you did  that , at least you'd be noticing the guy, which is more than anyone in the actual film ever does. Despite the good looks, money, c...

For the 190th time, we give you a Next 100 Project podcast…and this lip-wag is about one graphically vicious movie. This modern noir that uses plenty of florid dialogue from '40s crime thrillers is no longer as effective on us as it was 15 years ago. Is it maybe just a little too much of the old ultra-violence (and ultra-nudity)? The ensemble cast mostly excels without getting a ton of screentime,...

It doesn't get much more timely (or germ-bedazzled) than the subject of the Next 189 Project. Steven Soderbergh's movie has actually gotten better now that it has some age on it. It's fast-paced and quite entertaining. It's also realistic, a bit scary and—something that's probably a big bonus for anti-Goopers— Gwyneth Paltrow dies horribly. No doubt, her death is one of the most-memorable offings...

Bonus episode! If you need some terrific movie recommendations to fill your free time in the next few weeks (or months, good God), we've each got 4 excellent suggestions for what to watch (and where to find them). Along with 11 trivia questions, that makes for---hold your breath and wait for it---19 movies to help you pass the time during the worldwide standstill that is COVID-19. Bev went with mo...

There have been many "hooker with a heart of gold" movies, but Pretty Woman has to be on the shortlist of the most lovable ones. That's largely because Julia Roberts is at her very best (a star was born) and Richard Gere is a great match for her. Credit to them and to director Garry Marshall for making millions of people root so hard for a corporate raider and a pro from Hollywood Boulevard to mak...

The first sequel in the long series of Universal's Frankenflicks is the best film out of all of them. James Whale's masterpiece feels incredibly modern for something that was made 85 years ago. It's also remarkably influential. There's the hermit scene (parodied so hilariously in Young Frankenstein), the gay subtext, the surreal sets, the 5 iconic minutes of the title character. The Next 187 Proje...

Since it's the movie of the moment (and the big winner at last month's Oscars), we thought the Next 186 Project was an ideal slot to cover Parasite.  Bong Joon Ho's  brilliant, pitch-black satire deals with class, the division between the rich & the poor and empathy…or the lack thereof from the rich AND the poor. We have complicated feelings about the richies in this picture (we're more sympatheti...

Here's some truth…it's March! We're on the other side of winter, people. Somebody wished upon a star, didn't they? Well, anyway, the Next 185 Project analyzes  Disney's ultimate morality tale , although we took issue with how this animated classic teaches kids these lessons. Those plotlines had us asking many Reasonably Good Questions. One big takeaway? Don't trust adults! But do toe the line and,...

At my signal, unleash Braveheartacus! The Next 184 Project gets into the issues of how Commodus (toilet!) is a "failson" and how the whole derivative story is a WWF-esque popularity contest. This Ridley Scott  /  Russell Crowe action flick that won big at the Oscars 20 years ago works even as well as it does because of Crowe's humanity and even, believe it or not, humour. But, of course, there are...

Warning: Catholics and Pope-lovers might want to steer clear of the Next 183 Project. S'pretty explosive stuff. We go hard on the church and the cover-up of the sex abuse scandal (a more accurate way to put that would be CHILD RAPE). As for the movie that shows how the intrepid journalists at the Boston Globe went about covering this controversial story,  Spotlight  is a rock-solid procedural fill...

Bonus episode! A terrific year for movies has been wrapped up with a surprise winner (and the right winner) of a slew of gold naked guys . Parasite was the delightful surprise champeen of 2019, taking home trophies for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and International Feature. We talked about how this was the "Diversity & Inclusion" Oscars, even though the nominees themselves...

Are you ready for some grief? Well, the world is a terrible place run by terrible tyrants, so probably. Let's try this again. Are you ready to hear us yammer on about people who are too stilted to deal with their grief? The Next 182 Project  ordinaries up its people  and argues that  Mary Tyler Moore's  neglectful mom character just has an inability to communicate and show emotion. Those are some...

For the 5th year in a row, we present a February gab about the world's biggest awards show. The Next 181 Project represents the longest episode the Ellises have ever done and that's because there is A LOT to discuss about this year's show. Not everyone will agree with our…let's say uneasy feelings about Joker  or  Little Women . Many people will also strongly disagree with our resounding boos for ...

Mrs. Ellis' final selection in the "Month o' Bev" did indeed (as she intended) provide fodder for a furious back-and-forth. The movie in question in the Next 180 Project believes in individuality and personal freedom…and also laying it on very thick (thick lipstick especially). Then again, David Lynch  was never known for subtlety. His "comedy" isn't particularly funny, but his love story doesn't...

Darren Aronofsky's cautionary tale is over the top, loud, a bit dated and sometimes hysterical, but it's also heartbreaking. And it was influential, especially on commercials and movie trailers. Might it also be thought of as a horror film? We have thoughts. The Next 179 Project goes down all those avenues and also gets into the film's many technical merits, particularly the editing and the music....

For some, this was the greatest movie of the twenty-tens, but, whether you dig the flick or not, it's hard to argue that it predicted the future. Now that social media has become a gigantic, world-changing industry (for good and—far too often—for bad),  David Fincher's   Facebook Movie has even more relevance than it did 10 years ago. The Next 178 Project digs into "nerd misogyny", wonders how big...