Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV Reviews

This Labor Day weekend, Hollister and O'Toole take A Walk in the Woods with screen titans Robert Redford and Nick Nolte - based on the bestselling book of the same name by travel writer and memoirist Bill Bryson ("The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid"). Co-starring Oscar Winners Emma Thompson and Mary Steenburgen. Cameos by Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Gaia Wise (Emma Thompson's r...

The BBC has done it again – in this crime series (an inverted detective story) created by 2x-Emmy nominee Neil Cross. Hollister says she couldn’t watch Luther without checking under her bed. O’Toole says he’s her fallen-angel-cerebral-superhero – she thinks the series is really all about love. Idris Elba (The Wire) won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of tragic-hero DCI John Luther. Ruth Wilson (G...

“[David Foster Wallace] was the one voice I absolutely trusted to make sense of the outside world for me. Anyone that picks up his work for the next 50 years will have their antenna polished and sharpened, and they’ll be receiving many more channels than they were aware of.” – David Lipsky In this skillful “two-hander” Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg star as celebrated author David Foster Wallace...

In honor of their 50th podcast, Screen Thoughts presents a special episode – with an idea that has Hollister’s name all over it: Hollister and O’Toole run through a list of 50 films they’ve seen more than once – from the inspiring to their downright guilty pleasures. No judgment, please. Heartfelt gratitude to our listeners. Here’s to you – and our next 50 podcasts. Podcast extras include: - excer...

We were so Ready for Ricki. Really we were. And, well, you’ll just have to listen to the podcast. Starring, of course, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Audra McDonald, Rick Springfield, and Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep’s real-life daughter). And Hollister sends a special shout-out to the bartender in Ricki and the Flash - played by Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect). Add two more Oscar winners to the mix: screenpl...

Screen Thoughts was present for the opening night of the 24th annual Woods Hole Film Festival – which featured the Sundance hit "Infinitely Polar Bear". The autobiographical film marks the directorial debut of Writer/Director (and 4x Emmy-nominee) Maya Forbes. Hollister and O’Toole discuss the genesis of the film (it actually involves Wes Anderson), its themes (bipolar disorder), and the music (in...

Hollister and O’Toole take a look at this year’s Sundance favorite (winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award): the quirky and moving "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl". Novel and screenplay by Jesse Andrews. Starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, and Olivia Cooke. Co-starring Connie Britton, Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) and Molly Shannon. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (“Glee”) –...

This week Hollister and O’Toole discuss the latest Judd Apatow offering: "Trainwreck". Semi-autobiographical screenplay by Comedy Central star Amy Schumer. Starring Amy Schumer and SNL’s Bill Hader. Supporting cast includes Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton") & fellow SNL alum Colin Quinn – as well as some towering sports figures: LeBron James (who scores some of the film’s biggest...

Hollister and O’Toole rave about the new, bawdy, hilarious, and very original hit “Catastrophe” – starring and completely written by the extremely talented actor-comedians Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney (of Twitterverse fame) – who play an Irishwoman named, yes, Sharon, and an American man named, you got it, Rob – not werewolves in London. This R-rated comedy comes to us from the U.K. via Amazon Pr...

Hollister & O’Toole dedicate this special 25-minute podcast to the 25th anniversary of “Pretty Woman” – which to this day remains one of the most successful rom-coms of all time. “Pretty Woman” and its morals speak to Hollister’s Inner Businessperson – Hollister can probably quote the entire movie verbatim. She tries to explain it all to O’Toole, who has been baffled by the enduring appeal of...

Hollister & O'Toole speak with the amazingly talented actor, writer and director Connor Hines. Connor created (and stars in) the YouTube sensation “Local Attraction” – a web series portraying a series of blind dates inspired by the dating app Tinder. We discuss Connor’s motivation in creating the series; how he got Glenn Close to star in one of his episodes – and, drumroll, how ABC Studios rec...

Hollister & O’Toole were completely charmed by “Learning to Drive” at this week’s Provincetown International Film Festival – where it rightfully took home the @hbo #AudienceAward. (At the Toronto International Film Festival audiences ranked it second only to “The Imitation Game”.) It is a simple story of two very different lives intersecting, at just the right moment. As Hollister says, it’s n...

Screen Thoughts' Hollister and O'Toole discuss the latest offering of creator Darren Star ("Sex and the City", "Melrose Place", "90210"): TVland's "Younger" starring Tony-winner Sutton Foster - as a 40-something who passes herself off as a 20-something to land a job in publishing. Co-starring Hilary Duff and Debi Mazar. It's all about reinvention. Podcast extras include: - Younger's official Seaso...

In honor of the 69th annual Tony Awards (did you know the Tonys are named after a woman?), Hollister & O’Toole salute Broadway with a review of the documentary: The Standbys. Do you know the difference between an understudy and a standby? What about a swing? What all three certainly have in common: their dedicated pursuit of the Broadway dream. Come walk through the stage door and experience a...

Hollister and O’Toole debate Netflix’ latest offering: Grace and Frankie. Starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, whose husbands (played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) announce that they are running off – to marry each other. Can frenemies Jane and Lily forge a new life for themselves as unlikely roommates in the Malibu beach house the two couples once shared? These respected actors have garnered...

Warning: while Hollister & O’Toole certainly believe in the power of TV to inform and inspire, this week they acknowledge the dark side – dipping into the archives with a look back at Network (1976). Whether satire or reportage, the film firmly lands on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. Network was nominated for 10 Oscars (including Best Picture) – winning...

We tried to keep it short, truly we did, but... seriously? There's just so much to say. (Especially when you get Hollister, dark and twisty as she is, talking about her BFF Cristina Yang.) 11 seasons. The cast. The music. Shonda. OK, so we don't know how to save a life, but Screen Thoughts could be your person - O'Toole has her Post-Its ready. Podcast extras: clips from the Grey's Anatomy Theme So...

Aca-mazing or a dis-aca-ppointment? Screen Thoughts was present at a special sneak preview (along with every teenage girl within a 100-mile radius). Tune in to hear the latest from the a cappella world. Directed by Elizabeth Banks; starring Rebel Wilson and two Oscar nominees: Anna Kendrick (“Up in the Air”) and Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit”). Hollister & O’Toole are in harmony on some element...

In this podcast, Screen Thoughts celebrates women and diversity in film – podcasting from the inaugural Bentonville Film Festival – the first to guarantee theatrical, TV, digital, and retail distribution for winning films. Hollister & O’Toole take a look back at the storied career of festival chair and co-founder, Geena Davis: including clips from her Oscar-winning turn in “The Accidental Tour...

Last week, while in NYC for the Tribeca Film Festival, Hollister & O’Toole were podcasting from the Beacon Hotel. When they turned off their mics and finally looked out the window, they realized that Hollister’s room had a stunning view of the Apthorp - a building in which Nora Ephron famously spent 10 years “in a state of giddy delirium”. O’Toole figured it was a sign - a very big sign. It wa...

While in New York, Hollister & O’Toole had the enormous pleasure of speaking with the amazingly talented writer and director Elliot Thomson – founder of Empire Arts Film Corp. Elliot’s short film “Le Refuge” is currently enjoying a very successful run at festivals around the globe – from Istanbul to the Cleveland International Film Festival – an Oscar-qualifying fest, where it recently won Bes...

Gustav Klimt. Helen Mirren. The same director who brought us “My Week with Marilyn”. Hollister & O’Toole were asked to moderate a panel of experts (weighing in on the art, the legal issues, and the movie itself) in conjunction with a special premiere screening of “Woman in Gold”. The panel was so informative, we wanted to share some of that information with our listeners. So Jerry Forman, Esq....

Hollister and O’Toole discuss the multi-Logie-winning drama “McLeod’s Daughters” (2001-2009) - at its height, the most popular show on Australian TV. Still enjoying a cult following around the globe (and available on Netflix and Hulu), McLeod’s was filmed on location - telling the tale of two sisters running a cattle station (“Drover’s Run”) in the Australian Outback. Not only did the actors have...

Review of this Oscar-nominated documentary, funded by Kickstarter! Directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel (Gene Siskel's nephew). Chronicles the mystery of Vivian Maier - one of America's most prolific and talented street photographers - who lived and died in obscurity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix releases season 3 of the much-talked-about House of Cards on Feb. 27. Hollister & O'Toole review seasons 1 and 2 of this game-changing political thriller - which made history as the first web-only series to win a Primetime Emmy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices