Maximum Film!

Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Amber Sealey joins us to discuss the new marriage dramedy from Olivia Wilde, which premiered at Sundance and is now opening across the country. Costarring Wilde, Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penelope Cruz, it provokes laughs, anger, rug envy, and that perennial question: are the straights okay? Then we discuss our favorite films that are set in a single location!...

It’s neither a bird, nor a plane, nor Superman. It’s Supergirl , the newest film from James Gunn’s DC that has some folks talking, but probably not as many as Warner Bros. would like. We’ve got LA Times film critic, Unspooled co-host, and friend of the show Amy Nicholson along to talk about the stellar highs and dank cave lows, plus we name some of our favorite superhero movie acting performances....

LEVITICUS is the new Australian horror movie that turns (already quite frightening) gay conversion rituals into something even more haunting. And with us to unpack it is our friend Justin Kirkland, who just happens to have a new podcast exploring (with good humor!) how the Bible has been yielded as a weapon. Then we imagine some classic romances with a devilish twist. What's Good? Alonso - UDM14.c...

Steven Spielberg's new film may be about conspiracies, coverups, and car chases, but it all hinges around the concept of journalism you can trust...so who better to join us than our favorite trusted journalist (and movie podcaster, with UNCLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER ), NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie ! We put DISCLOSURE DAY under the microscope, then talk about some directors whose filmographies reveal h...

A dreamy two-piece love story about two men, one a soldier and the other a country boy. Or is three men? Or four? Also there's a tiger. We watch 2004's Tropical Malady from Apichatpong Weerasethakul, director of the 2010 Palme d'Or winner, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives . He goes by Joe in the Western world which is too bad. What’s Good Drea - The exact day to plant tomatoes so perfec...

Just a well-intentioned bounty hunter and his magic green baby, zooming through the galaxy: you guessed it, we're talking THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU. We've got Danielle Radford (of MaxFun's TIGHTS & FIGHTS, Dropout, and more) along with us this episode to talk about the newest thing from the Star Wars universe, and whether being deeply invested in the lore is a benefit or a drawback to enjoying the f...

It’s been 8 long years since Boots Riley’s directorial debut ( Sorry to Bother You ) surprised and delighted moviegoers. Does his follow-up deliver on color, comedy, and chaos? We’ve got Black People Love Paramore’ s Ryann Graham with us to discuss I Love Boosters . Then, we talk about how some of the sci-fi tech from this film might be deployed in other movies! What’s Good Alonso - Getting things...

Part revenge thriller, part Greek tragedy, and fully its own thing, Aleshea Harris’s directorial debut is an adaptation of her own award-winning Off-Broadway show. We have Geek Girl Riot’s Sherin Nicole with us to talk about all the twists, turns, and treacheries. Then we have a fun quiz about “twin” movies. What’s Good? Alonso - Farmers markets (even for non-chefs) Drea - Richard Osman’s House of...

If you didn’t have “Hugh Jackman/CGI Talking sheep murder mystery” down as a lock to be both a critical hit and a box office success, you’d be forgiven. Does it help or hurt to know that it’s director did all the MINIONS movies and it’s screenwriter did both THE HANGOVER and HBO’s CHERNOBYL? We get into all of that, plus our favorite moments in talking animal moviedom! What’s Good Alonso - Tacolat...

What’s RUNWAY like in 2026? THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 takes that question pretty seriously. We’ve got film critic (and former 2000s-era abused NYC assistant) Katie Walsh with us to talk about the fashion, the journalism, the nostalgia, and the cerulean of it all. What’s Good Alonso - Family Movie Night Menus by Leonard and Jessie Maltin  Drea - mom volunteering with for movie causes  Katie - Hudson...

MaxFunDrive is almost over! Don’t wait – ensure the future of this show at MaximumFun.org/joinmaxfilm Jaafar Jackson (son of Jermaine) dances his slouch-socked feet off in Antoine Fuqua’s new Michael Jackson biopic. And we have no less a personage than Tre’vell Anderson here to help us figure out how to feel about what was left in and what was left out. Then we’ll talk about some biopics that real...

Support great shows like this one! Er, these TWO! Head to maximumfun.org/join right now to pledge your allegiance. And THANK YOU! Drea made a guest appearance on John Moe's SLEEPING WITH CELEBRITIES and we're dropping it for you in this feed as a special #MaxFunDrive treat. Drea Clark, one of the hosts of the popular and important Maximum Film! podcast has a theory: all middle-aged Guys think abou...

Head to MaximumFun.org/join by May 1, 2026! Just interested in supporting Maximum Film! ? Do not pass Go: Go directly to MaximumFun.org/joinmaxfilm Here's a teaser of our first MAXIMUM SIDEBAR! episode! Drea, Alonso, and Kevin each brought something to discuss in the areas of food, self care, technology. Members get to hear it all, plus so much more BoCo (that's short for bonus content, folks). He...

It’s MaxFunDrive! We need your support, and want you in our club! Head to MaximumFun.org/join to become a member or increase your pledge. And THANK YOU! David Lowery’s is back in his ethereal bag (or is it a dress? defo there's a ghost though...right?) with MOTHER MARY, a look at art, soul, collaboration, and self, through the relationship of a mega popstar and her once-and-future fashion queen. T...

It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters . For MaxFilm! listeners, we're kicking off the MaxFunDrive with a DOUBLE FEATURE of Casters on Casters . Both Alonso Duralde and Drea Clark participated in two separate recordings of this incredibly important podcasting event. The first episode you...

A rom-com is going to rom-com, but YOU, ME, & TUSCANY is actually doing at least one thing that feels pretty unique. We talk about this new movie from Kat Coiro and producer Will Packer (starring Halle Bailey & Regé-Jean Page) with All the Feels podcast’s Dory Benford. What’s Good Drea - friends coming by and doing helpful stuff Dory - Easter candy Alonso - chocolate pound cake ITIDIC Over 1000 Bi...

What’s the drama behind director Kristoffer Borgli’s new film, THE DRAMA? And, unlike Mary J. Blige, do we want said drama? We unpack all that with film critic Ariel LeBeau , and then talk about some movies that were secretly darker than advertised.   What’s Good Alonso - Flossing first Drea - Artemis II Ariel - soft boiled eggs for breakfast (6m) Kevin - rediscovering Billy Joel ITIDIC Writers Gu...

Ryan Gosling is on a one-man mission to save the universe...but he's not alone. We've got film critic Rendy Jones with us to discuss PROJECT HAIL MARY from directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Then we share some of our favorite science fiction concepts from cinema. What’s Good Alonso - Free airplane Wifi Drea - skin flooding Rendy - taking time to rest Kevin - taking down Christmas deco...

We’re capping off a month at looking at different films directed by women with Hannah Berryman’s documentary, Spacewoman . Kevin Smokler , author of Breaking the Frame: Conversations with Women Filmmakers joins us to talk about this close look at the stellar career of astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot, and later command, a Space Shuttle mission. What’s Good Alonso - Calm for naps...

We’re taking a good hard look in the mirror with our guest, actor/writer/director Michelle Krusiec as we discuss SXSW;s 2025 Grand Jury Prize winner, Amy Wang’s darkly comedic body horror, SLANTED. Then we’ll share some of our favorite movies that feature the prom, well…prominently. What’s Good Alonso - Alain Guiraudie Poster for Cannes Critics’ Fortnight (Quinzane des Cineastes) Drea - Jessie Buc...

Podcaster and writer Harmony Colangelo joins the gang to track the many movements of THE BRIDE! Then we talk about actors we’d love to see paired up on the big screen.  What’s Good Alonso - matzoh Drea - filing (not clipping!) nails Harmony - definitely NOT Daylight Saving Time Kevin - zero degrees of Kevin Bacon?? ITIDIC Disney Releasing Fully Re-animated ASL Versions of Several Movie Songs Annap...

March is Women’s History month, and all the movies we cover this month will be directed by women! To kick things off, we’re leaning into the “history” part, and going back to 1953 to cover the most popular film from a truly pioneering director (and prolific actor), the one and only Ida Lupino. It’s The Bigamist, with our special guest, a journalist covering culture and history, Hadley Hall Meares...

The gang's all here to discuss a new black comedy (sorta) where its Glen Powell's Becket Redfellow in a cat and mouse game to the death with his obnoxiously wealthy family -- a modernization of the 1949 Alec Guinness film Kind Hearts and Coronets . What’s Good? Alonso - Slow TV walks through snowy Helsinki Drea - Dog and Pet advocacy from Isabel Klee and the WeRateDogs guy Kevin - getting really i...

Romance novelist and filmmaker Alys Murray joins us to unpack Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, and (perhaps unsurprisingly) opinions are varied! What does the movie have in common with Grease 2? Listen and learn! Plus, we have a Hotline call all about movie characters that need family or couples counseling. What’s Good Alonso - Nathan Rabin’s The Fractured Mirror Drea - Talking Spin...

Have you heard about the new A24 movie from writer/director Harry Lighton that’s almost a romantic comedy about gay BDSM biker culture? That’s PILLION, starring Alexander Skarsgaard and Harry Melling, and we’re thrilled to have our friend Nayland Blake (an influential artist and teacher who’s an authority on queer kink, riding with us! What’s Good? Alonso - Trans Girl Scouts you can buy cookies fr...