Up Left Media

The Essential Cut

Tv EN ↓ 43 episodes

Cinema history is bloated. Most "must-watch" lists are just prestige taxidermy—movies people respect but nobody actually wants to watch. The Essential Cut is an audit designed to trim the fat and build the only definitive collection: The Essential Cut Watchlist. Every episode, hosts Ian and Michael put cinema's heavy hitters through a three-phase inspection: Emotional Connection: Does the film’s "pulse" still beat in 2026? Cinematic Importance: Which filmmakers has this movie inspired? Entertainment Value: Beyond the art—is it actually entertaining? The verdict is binary. One film is Saved to...

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Up Left Media

Category

Tv

Podcast website

shows.acast.com

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

The Conjuring vs RIPD & Pacific Rim (2013) 21.10.2025

It's Spooky Season and Ian and Michael are visiting 2013 to see one of the biggest horror hits of all time, James Wan's THE CONJURING. Before settling in for the scares, Ian and Michael are going to spend some time screen hopping to check out a couple of the other movies that are also playing: RIPD and PACIFIC RIM. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King vs. The Cooler & Something's Gotta Give (2003) 07.10.2025

It's 2003 and the finale of Peter Jackson's epic LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is Sold Out. While Ian and Michael wait for a later screening, they kill some time with an unlucky William H Macy in Michael's pick, THE COOLER, and an odd-couple romance between Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in Ian's choice, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE. Who picked the better flick? Visit us @SoldOut_Pod on Instagram to vote!...

Ghostbusters vs. Once Upon a Time in America & Gremlins (1984) 23.09.2025

It's the summer of 1984 and Ivan Reitman's genre-bending GHOSTBUSTERS is sold out. So while they wait for an available screening, Ian and Michael spend the day seeing some other movies at the multiplex. Ian picks Sergio Leone's mobster epic, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, and Michael chooses Joe Dante's horror-comedy, GREMLINS. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

Back to the Future vs. Lifeforce & Return to Oz (1985) 09.09.2025

Ian and Michael hop in the DeLorean and travel to 1985 to see BACK TO THE FUTURE. Of course, it's sold out. So, they spend the day at the theater checking out a couple other cinematic oddities while they wait for an available showing: LIFEFORCE and RETURN TO OZ. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2002's Headliner: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) 02.09.2025

Ian and Michael are joined by a very special guest – star of "Nailed It Novels" and Harry Potter superfan, Rosie Paige – to discuss the biggest movie of Fall 2002, Chris Columbus' HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spirited Away (2002) 26.08.2025

As Ian and Michael await HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, they explore the mysterious world of Studio Ghibli's SPIRITED AWAY. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Mile (2002) 19.08.2025

Ian and Michael travel to 2002, hoping to catch HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. But since it is of course sold out, they lose themselves in the not-quite-an-Eminem-biopic, 8 MILE. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2016's Headliner: Captain America: Civil War 12.08.2025

Ian and Michael finally snag those elusive tickets for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR! While all is not well among the Avengers, will our podcast heroes find themselves in similar disharmony? an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keanu (2016) 05.08.2025

It's still 2016 and CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR is still sold out. To pass the time, Ian and Michael watch Key and Peele's KEANU. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Green Room (2016) 29.07.2025

Ian and Michael travel to 2016 to see CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, but before meeting The Avengers, they're trapped in a punk rock club's green room by some unfriendly skinheads in Jeremy Saulnier's aptly titled, GREEN ROOM. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus Episode: Superman (2025) 22.07.2025

Ian and Michael give the Time Machine a week off and check out a current blockbuster: James Gunn's SUPERMAN. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1989's Headliner: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 15.07.2025

After catching FIELD OF DREAMS and ROAD HOUSE during their visit to 1989, Ian and Michael see the movie they came for: Steven Spielberg's INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Road House (1989) 08.07.2025

Continuing their visit to 1989 to see INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, Ian and Michael spend a night with Patrick Swayze at the Double Deuce as they watch Rowdy Harrington's ROAD HOUSE. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Field of Dreams (1989) 01.07.2025

Ian and Michael visit Memorial Day Weekend of 1989 to watch INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, but tickets are sold out. Instead, they see Phil Alden Robinson's baseball classic, FIELD OF DREAMS. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1975's Headliner: JAWS 24.06.2025

Success! Ian and Michael finally get to see, and review, the movie that started it all, the first ever summer tentpole: JAWS. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love and Death (1975) 24.06.2025

Continuing their quest to see JAWS, Ian and Michael discuss another movie from the summer of '75, Woody Allen's LOVE AND DEATH. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rollerball (1975) 24.06.2025

In the premiere episode of SOLD OUT, Ian and Michael travel to 1975 to watch the movie that created the summer blockbuster, JAWS. Alas, such a hit is sold out at the box office, so they check out Norman Jewison's dystopian sci-fi sports flick, ROLLERBALL, instead. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to SOLD OUT 27.05.2025

Join Ian and Michael as they revisit the biggest movie events of the last 50 years, and some of the movies overshadowed by those blockbusters. an Up Left Media Production upleftmedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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