The Actor and The Engineer Podcast

Director Boots Riley brings you the most interesting and original movie of the year.  This thing has layers!  But it also has laughs, uncomfortable parts and Tessa Thompson!  Go see it, and watch for the apples.  There might be something there...  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on tw...

We, uh, find a way to talk about the next Jurassic World movie, which is a bit different from the previous one.  J.A. Bayona puts his stamp on this franchise by making it creepy and entertaining.  And Paul may actually like this one!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actor...

This week we watch the 20th movie in the MCU, but it still works well as a stand-alone superhero movie.  Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Co. get small, AND BIG while trying to figure out who they are fighting.  We also talk about the first rehearsals of Paul's play and Josh watching the Jaws Movie Party at Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh on Independence Day.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   http...

This week we are back with our take on the creepy debut from writer/director Ari Aster.  We dig into Toni Colette's praise-worthy performance and the performances of her movie kids, Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro.  Get your creepy life-like dollhouses ready!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follo...

This week we finally get to the newest Disney Star Wars movie.  We talk about possible Star Wars fatigue and we try to evaluate this movie on its merits alone.  We also talk about new trailers (Susperia and A Star is Born).  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actorengineer ....

This week we catch up on what we were watching and talk about yet another superhero movie.  This one is Deadpool, though, so it's more than just a superhero movie.  They somehow found a way to stay true to the Deadpool ethos by subverting the genre that they are a part of, in a gloriously vulgar way!  It's their Basic Instinct!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Ch...

This week we finally talk about the biggest movie of the year, what we liked and a couple of things that rubbed each of us the wrong way. Just the fact that this behemoth (with 20 or so main characters) is coherent is something to be praised. Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter...

This week we geek out about our favorite movie theater that just opened up here in Raleigh.  It includes first-run movies, special screenings of older films (like Hitchcock's Vertigo), movie rentals (DVD, Blu Ray AND VHS!) beer and food.  What else can you ask for?  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  ...

This week we talk Alexander Payne's newest movie, the awards buzz that was generated around it early and maybe why it wasn't nominated for any Oscars.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actorengineer . 

This week we talk about how Spielberg adapted Ernest Cline's best-selling novel that celebrates pop culture from the 80's into a popcorn movie for the 2010's.  Josh read the book and Paul didn't, so we are able to come at it from different angles.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on t...

We continue the tradition of talking about the newest Star Wars film with multi-Emmy winning commercial and promotion producer Justin Arner.  The movie is now available to own with a bunch of special features that may or may not answer some of the questions we had in our first review.  We will also talk about how our perceptions changed after even more viewings.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podca...

We look back at two films that are commonly referred to as "Merchant Ivory" pictures.  From the same writer/director/producer team and both based on novels by E.M. Forster, the commonalities don't stop there.  Join us as we both experience these movies that might not have been on the top of our "to watch" list and see what we get out of them.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun....

This week we go Hard Sci-Fi with Alex Garland's latest creation (adapted from the novel).  Natalie Portman anchors this group of female scientists (including Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez and Jennifer Jason Leigh) into the "shimmer", where nature takes a different course.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actoranden...

This week we talk about the first blockbuster of the year and how it is the same and different from other Marvel movies.  Chadwick Boseman, Lupita N'yongo, Michael B. Jordan and Danai Gurira put in solid performances in Ryan Coogler's first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/a...

We each count down our top 5 movies of 2017.  While these may not have gotten all of the awards, these were the ones that "lit us up" this year.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actorengineer .

This was so big we had to split it into two episodes!  We each count down our top 10 movies of 2017 from 10 to 6 in this episode.  Next episode is our top 5!!  Enjoy!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actorengineer .

This is it!  Oscar time is officially upon us!  We go through who we think will win and who we would like to win in the major Oscar categories.  Watch out!  There may be some shockers!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actorengineer .

This week we try to wrap up discussions on the last few movies in the Oscar race that we have seen, but we spend most of the time talking about The Florida Project, and Paul gushes about Gary Oldman's revelatory performance in Darkest Hour.  Other movies we talk about are I, Tonya, The Post and Roman J Israel, Esq.  Enjoy!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check o...

Yorgooos!!  He has done it again.  Created an odd world that makes you uncomfortable in its realness.  It is begging to be picked apart and talked about.  This movie about a surgeon, his family and a boy who lost his father may not be for everyone, but has much more to it than many recent movies.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www...

Northern Italy in the mid-eighties sets the scene for Timothèe Chalamet's (well-deserved) Oscar nominated performance in Luca Guadagnino's coming of age film.  We will get into the performances and filming techniques of this small, seemingly simple, but complex film.  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer...

Oscar nominations AND a Paul Thomas Anderson movie all in one week!  We quickly go through our predictions for the nominations and how many we got right.  Then we dive into the second pairing between Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis.  We got completely different things from this movie, which makes it an interesting discussion!!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check...

This week we welcome Melanie Simmons, film and theater actress and costar with Paul in their most recent play!  We talk about Dee Rees' new film Mudbound.  We discuss the performances, writing and the uniqueness of the Netflix release model.  Thanks Melanie!  Subscribe on iTunes or Apple Podcasts:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and fol...

This week we talk about Guillermo del Toro's fairy tale about love, war, the past, the present and the romance between a mute cleaning lady and an egg-eating fish man.  Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon and Doug Jones (the fish man) are all at the top of their game with parts that were written specifically for them.  See this in the theater if you can!  It's magical.  Subscribe on iT...

This week we see James Franco's take on the making of the cult favorite "The Room".  The director and star of this film tries to bring Tommy Wiseau's eccentricities to a larger audience and it is both hilarious and touching at times.  Subscribe on iTunes:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www.facebook.com/actorandengineer  and follow us on twitter  @actorengineer .

This week we have an epic podcast talking about an epic movie.  The biggest movie of the year actually has some thought-provoking scenes on the surface and even on a meta level.  We talk about the movie, but also the role of the fan in the Star Wars ecosystem.  Rian Johnson sure does give us a lot to think about!  Subscribe on iTunes:   https://itun.es/i6gB67Y   Check out our Facebook page:   www....