The Picture Show with Austin and Phil Rood

after figuring out which of their cats would make the best bus, Austin and Phil settle in for a discussion about Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 animated fantasy My Neighbor Totoro.  The guys talk about the casual pace of the film, how that plays into some of the spiritual elements, and next level animation and art talk throughout the episode... plus a lot more.  There's a lot to unpack in the guys' first o...

Listen to this episode for an explanation of why there is no episode this week

Aus and Phil are the sole survivors of a tidal wave of space garbage and they're struggling to get home.  Phil keeps playing country music and cracking wise while Austin attempts to make progress in the conversation about the 2013 film Gravity .  The guys talk about single take shots, cinematography, and Sandra Bullock, as well as deep dives into portrayals of tragedy and so much more. A...

Austin and Phil lead an expedition to a legendary island full of monsters and horrors the likes of which we've... seen a few times before in one form or another.  But it doesn't matter, because it's fun.  Climb on the choppers with the Roods and half the cast of the MCU as we watch Kong: Skull Island.  Austin's Shout Out: Paper Girls   Phil's Shout Out: Clint Wells-Vampire Clif...

This week, Austin and Phil are the only people on Earth... who watched the movie IO .  They settle in for a dark and depressing look at humanity, the better movies it pulled from, and a look at the situation we find ourselves living in currently.  It's maybe our most nihilistic episode yet, and it's all because Austin chose this movie... ... not that anything like that matters...

Aus and Phil take a trip to 1940s Shanghai for some martial arts shenanigans with Stephen Chow's 2004 comedy action film Kung Fu Hustle .  They talk about the brilliant crossroads between cartoonish comedy and legitimate kung fu, the Chinese film industry and the relationship to America, and the balancing act of so many different tones  Also, butts... This is a great conversation about a...

Austin and Phil sit down this week for Christopher Nolan's 2017 war film Dunkirk.  They talk about Nolan's bizarre timeline, why we never learned about this historical event, and discuss what characters they latched onto the most.  The guys don't do war movies often, so this one is new ground. Phil references the podcast Wait... You Haven't Seen and TV's Travis and their discussion of this film.  ...

Austin and Phil go back to the world of benders and explore the third season of The Legend of Korra .  They talk about the season as a sort of reboot, the next level of animation for the series, and the fantastic villain the series found in Henry Rollins. Phil's Shout Out: Socially Plagued Austin's Shout Out: Korra-The Turf War

Austin and Phil examine their father-son relationship as they hit the road and run for their lives... no, they're not dodging mob assassins or seeking vengeance for their murdered family, they're instead trying to find common ground on their differing opinions about the 2002 crime drama Road to Perdition.   The guys take a look at their relationships to morally bankrupt characters, rebellious...

Austin and Phil hunker down in the studio and build the impossible:  a podcast about the film The Astronaut Farmer .  The guys talk about the bizarre tone of this movie, the clunky execution of an interesting idea, and how this movie only makes sense in the slimmest of time frames. Austin's Shout Out: 1-Hour Song Rewrite Phil's Shout Out: Critical Drinker-Ambiguity

Austin and Phil take a trip to the center of their psyches this week by watching 2009's Where the Wild Things Are.   They break down the deep emotional and artistic meanings behind the simple children's story, the stellar work by the art department, and the amazing performances by the voice and suit actors alike.  It's a complicated movie that spawned a lot of conversation and ideas and...

This week Austin and Phil watched Bo Burnham's 2017 comedy drama/exploration of adolescence Eighth Grade .  The guys discuss the timelessness of the film, what it is saying about the gap between who we are and who we pretend to be, and the way the movie manages to perfectly capture the challenges surrounding everything about being the age of a middle schooler. Austin's Shout Out: The Forest U...

Austin and Phil hit the road to salvation this week as they dig into the 2010 post-apocalyptic film The Book of Eli.  The guys get off in the weeds about religion and spirituality and the struggles that these things may or may not present to this movie's audience, but also talk plenty about the technical aspects of the film, the Denzel Renaissance, relationship dynamics, and, of course, Tom W...

Austin and Phil sequester themselves to a tiny room in the back of Stately Rood Manor where they discuss the minutia of what they have just been presented with... in this case, it's the 1957 courtroom drama 12 Angry Men .  The guys discuss why this movie holds up after all this time, their favorite parts, and speculate about what could be beneficial about remaking this film.  It's a real...

The guys hit the road this week and break down the 1958 samurai adventure film The Hidden Fortress .  They talk about the impressive scope of this movie, the influence it had on George Lucas, and finally, they spiral into a discussion(argument) about the strained relationship between old films and modern audiences.  It's a long and treacherous road for our heroes this week as they seek a...

Austin and Phil kick off Season 2 by watching Soul , which leads them to explore life, death, the afterlife, jazz, perspective, and the possibility that Pixar is manipulating us all... Austin's Shout Out: Ratatouille Phil's Shout Out: Hat's Off Entertainment

***SPOILER ALERT FOR THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 2**** Austin and Phil celebrate the holiday season by leaning into the Star Wars Universe to talk about Life Day, Disney's handling of IP, and the second season of The Mandalorian.  The guys offer their thoughts on the direction the show has taken this season, what it means for the future of the show, and their potentially unpopular opinions of the seaso...

Austin and Phil take a look at what they've reviewed over the past 20 episodes and pick out their best, worst, and most surprising movies as well as looking at the benefits this show has brought them over this season. Austin's Shout Out: Ratatouille the Musical Phil's Shout Out: Mims28Studio

Aus and Phil dive into the world of pro sports, numbers and stats, Zen Buddhism, and stepdads as they get into a discussion of 2011's Moneyball .  It's a fun discussion that goes all over the place and brings some really fun discussion, disagreement, and more. Austin's Shout Out: Half Alive Phil's Shout Out: Abe Lincoln's Top Hat

The guys don their finest uncomfortable clothing and their tallest hats and announce themselves at the finest estates of Victorian England as they talk about the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma.  They talk about what they expected vs what they ended up with, feminist heroes now and then, and the ridiculousness of the aristocracy.  It's a surprising and fun discussion all the way th...

Austin and Phil take a trip to the Spirit World in an attempt to find enlightenment... but they just ended up watching an anticlimactic TV season instead.  The guys clash over the quality of the show as a whole, the highs and lows of Season 2, new characters, and why Sally Draper is the ultimate spirit guide.  It's another battle royale as they continue through the Legend of Korra. &nbsp...

Austin and Phil open the magic card box to find out what movie they're going to watch and discover that it's 2019's Ready Or Not .  The guys try to do a deep dive on the film but quickly discover that they don't need to... and they're cool with that.  The resulting conversation is a series of rabbit holes about Joker , popcorn movies, foreign language apps, and loud lawn mowers.  It...

This week Austin and Phil travel to the magical kingdom of mushrooms... and bears.  They're watching and talking about the 2019 horror film Midsommar and getting totally freaked out by it.  They talk about respect for different cultural norms, geometry, toxic people, and psychedelics... also bears and sex rituals.  It's an insane movie that breeds unique discussion. Austin's Shout O...

Austin and Phil got together to talk about The Amazing Screw-On Head .  They discuss the TV pilot and the comic it was adapted from, it's possible place in the Mignola-verse, and hope for a renewed interest in the property that might possibly lead to its return.  It's a Halloween treat that the guys use to celebrate the weird and wonderful short story The Amazing Screw-On Head !

Phil and Austin head into the wilderness, paying close attention not to wander into the haunted woods too far, or to antagonize their billy goat as they take a look at the 2015 horror fairytale The Witch : A New England Folk Tale .  They talk about irresponsible parenting, religious fanaticism, folk tales, and the most horrifying depiction of breast feeding ever committed to film.  It's...