Maximum Film!

No, it’s not the The Invitation that came out this year; we’re taking it back to 2016, when Karyn Kusama’s thoughtful thriller The Invitation was released in theaters. Drea’s away on set, but we’ve got three (sometimes four) Angelenos and a Brooklynite sharing their movie thoughts, as well as their tips for when and how to leave a sketchy party. Oh, and Karyn Kusama was born in Brooklyn! Later, Ma...

We’ve got film critic Robert Daniels to help us answer the hard-hitting questions about a film about the kind of gutwrenching true story you wish were pure fiction. Questions like: Did you want to see this movie? Then, we take a hotline call that brings in a healthy dose of Black Joy.  What’s Good Drea - wedding ridiculousness  Robert - awesome Chicago weather Ify - skincare ITIDIC Angelina Jolie...

Sometimes, when planning our Maximum Film! calendar, someone will text the group saying, “I just saw a movie and, hoo boy.” That’s how this episode was born. To help us on this horror journey, we have an expert guest, Nay Bever. Nay is an artist, a producer and interviewee on Queer for Fear , and co-host of Attack of the Queerwolf , and she gamely joins us to explain details like how Pinhead fits...

Comedian Steve Hernandez joins us to take a look at Universal's splashy gay rom-com. We talk about where it sits in queer cinema history and whether it delivered on its promises (of both the "rom" and "com" varieties). Then, we get some characters from movies past set up with podcasting narrators of their own. What’s Good Alonso - Retail Christmas season Steve - wedding planning, The Chatterbox ,...

Welcome to Victory, where the sinks are spotless, the wardrobes are flawless, and dinner is on the floor.  Depresh Mode's John Moe joins us to dissect Don't Worry Darling , a movie that is definitely a movie.  Then, we'll take a hotline call about directorial blank checks. What’s Good Alonso - Queer for Fear Drea - Law & Order Character Drea Clark (ep: “Battle Lines”) John - The return of Don’t Hu...

The Montana winter isn’t the only thing ice-cold and unrelenting in God’s Country , directed by newcomer Julian Higgins and starring Thandiwe Newton. We’ve got Vulture’s TV critic and film writer Roxana Hadadi along to unpack all that this indie is bringing us. (Btw, today’s conversation is relatively spoiler-free.) Then we’ll play a word quiz inspired by the title of this week’s movie. What’s Goo...

A lot of the fun of BARBARIAN is in the suspense of not knowing what to expect. So let’s just say: there’s this house. There are people there. And if you want to know more, see the movie, then listen to this special trio-only episode of MaxFilm! (Or, you can listen to the first segment, then skip to the last segment). Later, we’ll play a round of ScareBnB. What’s Good Alonso - Sprinkles’ “La Glori...

Enjoy this episode of the only podcast that gives you BOTH a capsule description of the Paramount Accords and personal childhood memories of an imaginary mermaid girlfriend. With special guests like television luminary writer/producer Bryan Fuller, who are also witness to all of the above in real time! You can't miss it. And you're not missing it, because here you are, reading the shownotes. Later...

We’ve had our eye on this one from its premiere at Sundance (!). Now, Adamma Ebo’s mockumentary, starring Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall, has hit theaters and Peacock, with a period in its title and a lot more than pearl Prada on its mind. Later, we’ll nominate mockumentaries to the Hall of Excellence. What’s Good Alonso - Gratitude for the people in his life that let him rest and recuperate  D...

While Alonso's away, Drea and Ify have fellow MaxFun host Jordan Crucchiola ( Feeling Seen ) over to their New York mansion to wait out a hurricane...metaphorically speaking. The game -- er, movie -- of the hour is Halina Reijn's BODIES BODIES BODIES. It's A24's latest  horror venture and it stars a cast of 20-somethings (and Lee Pace) making a bloody mess.  Enjoy! Then, our trio swaps actors into...

A proven prequel director (Dan Trachtenberg), an excellent cast (led by Amber Midthunder), an original setting (1700s Comanche village), and one killer monster from space (Predator of course). Does all this add up to a movie worth “screen”-ing (whether you can or not)? Listen and find out! Then, we’ve got a hotline call about reimagining movies. All with She-Hulk writer Cody Ziglar! What’s Good Al...

It is not enough to ask, “is this movie like Smokin’ Aces ?” One must also ask, “how do you feel about Smokin’ Aces ?”  Love it or hate it, Bullet Train is a movie that is very much what it is. And what is it, exactly? Listen and we’ll explain to the best of our abilities. Plus, the gang invents their own assassin personas, all of which are just begging to be made into some kick-ass fan art.   [No...

During this year’s MaxFunDrive, we promised one lucky supporter the opportunity to choose a film for us to watch if we hit our goal. Well, hit it we did, and now (thanks to listener Andrea D.) this film is hitting our screens, and your ears! Will it be a hit with our favorite movie geniuses? Listen and learn! Plus: good news for us nerds…there will be a quiz! What’s Good Alonso - Physical Season 2...

Director Jordan Peele’s third film has a lot to say, which is something it has in common with Ify, Alonso, and Drea. The crew shares all their thoughts and feelings on this spectacle of spectacles, and then dreams up some studio attractions to rival Jupiter’s Claim. [Note: there are spoilers, but there’s also a warning beforehand!] What’s Good Alonso - Recipes from Alison Roman’s YouTube Channel ,...

We’re joined by a host of Maximum Fun’s own ‘Just the Zoo of Us ’ to talk about a zoologically inspired film that still remains very much about humans, for better or worse. On top of that, she’s got an insider’s take on what it would really be like to make out in a coastal salt marsh.  Then, the whole gang talks about their favorite courtroom drama movies (it’s related, we swear). What’s Good  Alo...

Kevin Avery (writer, comedian, and former co-host of the premier Denzel Washington podcast) joins us to take a look at a young Denzel and first-time movie star Sarita Choudhury in Mira Nair’s sophomore feature from 1991, the often romantic, surprisingly political, and totally unique Mississippi Masala . Then, we think about what untold stories we’d like to see on screens. What’s Good Alonso - Dr....

The Flop House ’s Stuart Wellington joins our rag-tag crew of interdimensional warriors to discuss the latest Marvel Cinematic offering. Will the myriad pieces of this movie hold together to pack a punch? That was a Mjølnir reference.  What’s Good? Alonso - Shoresy Drea - James Webb Space Telescope Stuart - Bathory’s Viking Trilogy  Ify - SDCC Panel on July 23  ITIDIC a). Kirsten Dunst and Jesse P...

It’s Ify’s 3rd anniversary as host! To celebrate, film and culture writer Beandrea July joins us to bask in the afterglow of a Sundance darling that dares to explore an older woman’s sexuality (but doesn’t stop there!). Then, inspired by (the theme of) lust, we quiz it up about the Seven So-Called Deadly Sins. What’s Good Alonso - Irv’s Burgers is back Drea - THE MIRROR GAME at Woods Hole Film Fes...

With Australian writer and pop culture aficionado Maria Lewis in tow, the gang gets some glitz in their eyes, marvels at some really tricky old-age makeup, and takes in some history with a big grain of diamond crystal salt.  What’s Good Alonso – Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Drea - Vegas, baby! (kinda) Maria - Reebok Alien Stompers High-Tops  Ify - Being a part of the Universal Studio Tour...

We finally, really did it. We made the dinosaurs, we messed with the dinosaurs, we released the dinosaurs, we auctioned off the dinosaurs, and now we’re gathering the dinosaurs back up. Also, there are locusts. Confused? That’s Jurassic World Dominion, baby! Our expert guest is Steven Ray Morris, who hosts the See Jurassic Right podcast (in addition to producing other shows, like My Favorite Murde...

It premiered in 2005, propelling Jean-Marc Valée into the next level of his career. In 2015, Toronto critics named it one of the 10 best Canadian films of all time. And in 2022, American viewers can finally see what all the fuss is about. In honor of the late Valée, Pride month, and out 250th episode (!), we’re taking a look at the coming-of-age-and-coming-out story that is C.R.A.Z.Y. along with n...

The delightful Parvesh Cheena ( Connecting, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Shining Vale ) joins us to discuss the queer (mostly) Asian romcom that sets star/writer Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, and friends as the Bennett Sisters, and Conrad Ricamora as Mr. Darcy. Sex, party drugs, judgy gays, and emotional catharsis – you can find it all on FIRE ISLAND. What’s Good Mentions Alonso - Ms. Marvel Drea - mendin...

It’s breaking box office records...and ALL THE RULES. It’s flipping CGI the bird. It’s making its stars puke. It’s been 36 years since the first ‘Top Gun,’ and we’ve got the author of Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor , Amy Nicholson, to help us navigate the long-awaited, much-postponed sequel. Then, we’ll pitch our sequel ideas for movies that have yet to get a Chapter Two. What’s Good Alonso - Ben...

Pamela Ribon, screenwriter ( Ralph Breaks the Internet , Moana ), novelist ( My Boyfriend is a Bear ), comic book writer, and more) joins the crew to discuss Petite Maman , a movie that both Drea AND Alonso put on their best-of-the-year list in 2021. It’s finally hitting streaming in early June, and now we’ve got our takes on this film, which may or may not be about playing in the woods and making...

Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut hit Sundance back in 2021, but now it’s finally available on big and small screens. Film critic Carlos Aguilar joins us to describe the ways that this short film packs a long punch. AND: We cast our dream movie driving buddies! (cw: today’s movie is about suicide and depression; we’ll give you a heads up during the show too) What’s Good Alonso - LGBTQ Media El...