Remainders

On this episode of Remainders, we watch the 2003 war epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Based on the series of novels, Master and Commander is a chase movie that goes much deeper. Russell Crowe plays Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, and Paul Bettany plays Dr. Stephen Maturin. The Captain represents leadership and duty, and the Dr. represents academia and revolution. As the...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 2002 movie Insomnia. The only movie in Christoher Nolan’s filmography in which he doesn’t have a writing credit, Insomnia has always felt like an outlier in the director’s career. It’s most notable aspect was Robin Williams and his villainous role as Finch, a first for Williams. Playing opposite the most strung out possible version of Al Pacino, we see if...

On this episode we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mad Max: Fury Road - Black and Chrome Edition. Often considered the greatest action film of all time, Fury Road reintroduced the world to Max, this time played by Tom Hardy, as he teams up with Furiosa to take on the dystopian warlord Immortan Joe. George Miller’s stated intention was to make a movie that was one long chase, and as elemental and...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1997 political sci-fi movie Starship Troopers. Dismissed upon release as a generic action movie, time has been kind to this movie about fascism and soldier recruitment in a pro-war society. A militarized society in the future waging war against a sub-human alien species, Starship has gained cultural appreciation as a meta-film about wartime propaganda. A...

On this episode we watch 2005’s The Descent. A year after tragedy strikes, a group of friends discover something far worse in the deep caverns of the Appalachian Mountains. This spelunking splatter fest is a contender for many titles, including best horror movie of the 2000s, most objectionable thing to watch for anybody with even the slightest claustrophobia, and having maybe one of the worst bes...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1995 crime classic Heat. Directed by Michael Mann, Heat features Al Pacino and Robert De Niro realizing they have a lot more in common than their respective careers would suggest. We dive deep into this 90s classic and the duality of character that has made it a favorite. Other topics include the seemingly endless stream of character actors in Heat, why t...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the new horror classic The Substance. Fresh off Oscar attention and walking away with the award for Best Makeup of 2024, we celebrate this gonzo body horror movie that broke into the mainstream. Elizabeth Sparkle is an aging star played by the legendary Demi Moore. When she is fired from her fitness show for her age, she turns to the green stuff in an attempt...

Pop quiz, hotshot: What’s the best action movie of the 90s? Stiff competition, but Speed will certainly fight you for the top pick. We revisit this commuter nightmare classic and can’t stop talking about Keanu Reeves’ cool guy charisma, crushing on Sandra Bullock, the legendary Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels’ moment of clarity, and that delicious unfinished-freeway jump. Other topics include David Ly...

On this episode we dive into the 1993 film A Perfect World, part two of our Clint Eastwood double-feature. Directed by Eastwood, the film was his follow-up to Unforgiven and features Kevin Costner in one of his best roles as Butch, an escaped convict who kidnaps a young boy. As they journey across the countryside, an unexpected bond forms between them. Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood plays a detective t...

On this first part of our Clint Eastwood double feature, we're diving into Unforgiven, Eastwood’s 1992 Oscar-winning western that challenges the heroic myths of the genre. The film follows retired gunslinger William Munny who takes one last job for revenge and money—only to confront the personal and moral costs of violence. Unforgiven redefined the western genre in the early 90s and it's...

On this episode of Remainders we dive into Psycho 2. Picking up 22 years after Hitchcock’s classic, it’s a true continuation of the character of Norman Bates. Perkins’ give an all time great performance in what is more of psychological thriller than a straight up horror movie - although the classic 80s gore is not abandoned completely. A first time watch, Psycho 2 has become an all time favorite. ...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 2002 thriller Signs. Peak M. Night Shyamalan, Signs is a perfect distillation of the director’s best work – masterfully crafted horror tension and emotional resonance. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix play brothers in rural Pennsylvania when crop circle signs begin to appear on their farm. A man who has recently lost his faith, Gibson is forced to confront...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1935 John Ford movie The Informer. The story of Gypo Nolan, a disgraced IRA man of war in 1920s British occupied Ireland and his willingness to sell out his comrade best friend for a small reward. Victor McLaglen gives an all-time great sweaty performance as Gypo and his descent into guilt, remorse and whiskey until atonement is the only option. An undera...

On this tribute episode to the late, great Roger Corman, we watch the 1980 B-movie classic Humanoids From the Deep. The story of a small California fishing town terrorized by human-like sea creatures killing men and assaulting women, Humanoids is the quintessential drive-in film with good reason. Fish monsters, small town brawling, dead animals, lots of naked women, and plenty of creature-feature...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1951 classic A Place in the Sun. George Eastman is a poor but ambitious young man who becomes entangled with two women after beginning a job with his rich uncle. Based on the Theodore Dreiser novel An American Tragedy, morality and class mobility take center stage as George exposes his inner demons in order to achieve the status and possibly the love he a...

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1957 classic murder mystery Witness for the Prosecution. Directed by Billy Wilder with all-time great performances by Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, and Marlene Dietrich, Witness is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie play and is considered one of the best of the decade. Laughton plays a beleaguered and retired judge trying to salvage his health who is...

This week on Remainders we watch the 1996 biopic Basquiat, a glimpse into the short life of postmodernist and art-world icon Jean-Michel Basquiat. Directed by Julian Schnabel and starring a young Jeffrey Wright, Basquiat follows his rise to fame in 1980s New York City and the hotbed of creativity crossing paths with Andy Warhol and others. Containing one of the most notable and talented casts of a...

This week on Remainders we watch the 2019 documentary 63 Up. Part of the long-running British film series that started in the 1960s, The Up Series has been following its cast of characters since they were 7 years old. Originally intended as a study on the British class system, their personal lives have become the purpose over the decades of filming. About as unique of a film project as can be, and...

On this episode of Remainders, we watch the 2002 biographical comedy drama 24 Hour Party People. Steve Coogan plays Tony Wilson and follows his work in late 1970s and early 1980s post-punk with such bands as Joy Division, New Order, and Happy Mondays. Consistently breaking the fourth wall tied together with Coogan’s brand of snark, the story of Manchester in the 70s is a pivotal piece in the histo...

This week on Remainders, we watch the 1974 horror-comedy rock opera Phantom of the Paradise. A cult classic by Brian De Palma, Phantom has gained notoriety in the decades since its release thanks in part to De Palma’s legendary filmography, but also because of a small but rabid fan base that hails to this insane mashup of horror and glam rock. Other topics include Killers of the Flower Moon, Chica...

This week on Remainders, we watched the 2001 Icelandic fantasy-drama No Such Thing. Directed by Hal Hartley, with a stealthily great cast and aspirations to surreal stories like Beauty and the Beast and Beowulf, No Such Thing tries to have its cake and eat it too. A throwback pick to the era of endless DVDs, revisiting this drama leads to some surreal and honest opinions on the movies and how they...

This week on Remainders, we watch the 2009 movie Trash Humpers. A piece of post-cinema and experimental insanity by Harmony Korine (Gummo, Spring Breakers), Trash Humpers is a practice in hedonistic voyeurism, found-footage VHS, elder depravity, and plenty of garbage. A movie that questions what even is a movie, it’s another great example of Korine’s exploration into erratic places in film. Other...

This week on Remainders, we celebrate our 50th episode in style with the 1987 satirical classic, RoboCop. The story of Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop who is executed only to be remade by corporate America as the ultimate police enforcer. Paul Verhoeven’s action movie could be viewed as just a seminal piece of 80s action filmmaking, but that would still be selling it short. RoboCop builds upon ideas of...

This week on Remainders, we discuss the 2016 film Manchester By the Sea. A story of grief, depression, trauma and confronting the past, Kenneth Lonergan directs a movie that manages to deal with these difficult themes while also showing the imperfections in life and the awkward, sometimes funny moments in between. A case of realism with a touch of levity, Casey Affleck plays Lee, a man who upon lo...

This week on Remainders, we talk the 2007 gem The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Partially forgotten and possibly overshadowed by No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood upon its release, Assassination is absolutely an essential modern western. Brad Pitt plays Jesse James who is put on a pedestal by Casey Affleck’s Robert Ford. As Ford idolizes and fawns over James...