Appreciates craftspeople and lesser-known directors (loves The Boost and City Hall) and attends Cannes. Scrutinizes plot logic and loves Buscemi's Fargo energy. Disdains the garage finale.
Stances
The movie works until the murder, then the investigation sinks it
Modern tech would have ended the plot
Harold Becker's career deserves a look
Humor: Wry, uses film-nerd references and dry understatement.
In their words
“I just saw it for the 1st time this year is amazing.” (0:30:27)
“I just feel like reverse image search alone on a photo of Rick just ends this whole thing.” (1:08:35)
Treats After Hours as a top-5 Scorsese and an all-time favorite; loves style, Pee-wee-adjacent oddballs, Frances Ha and film-history research. Can't stand lazy comic-book flatness or explicit violence for its own sake. A sucker for homage, trivia and a clean pace.
Stances
After Hours is a hinge in Scorsese's career
Goodfellas' look starts here
Pauline Kael misread it
Nighttime New York movies are a lineage
Humor: Dry, researched asides and a New Yorker's grumble about the city changing.
In their words
“It's just a hinge movie for him, you know?” (1:41:36)
Barely audible in the transcript; credited by Bill's live-show promo and addressed as 'Fantasy', he offers short remarks on Spider Rico. Little can be said about his taste from this episode.
Admires Walken's monologue craft and Tarantino's refusal to sell out. Likes movie stars taking risks in non-star roles (Stallone in Cop Land). Dislikes how the film ends up with Fabienne.
Stances
Walken wins the Dion Waiters Award
Travolta, not Day-Lewis, was right
Tarantino never sold out
Humor: Quiet, wry one-liners; takes the long view.
In their words
“Don't massage my wife's foot unless you're a professional masseuse is one of my takes.” (0:10:40)
“I love when movie stars play non-movie star roles.” (2:41:43)
“Having him play like just one normal hitman having a weird day would be awesome.” (1:39:01)
Likes the sketch-driven silliness and Mini-Me/Scott Evil feud. Annoyed by Fat Bastard's grossness and Felicity sleeping with him. Likes Rob Lowe's resilient career.
Stances
Fat Bastard scene is the worst-aged
Dr. Evil nipples age best
Heather Graham deserves credit
Humor: Dry, plays straight man to Bill's tangents.
In their words
“Felicity sleeping with Fat Bastard has just grossed me out in 1999.” (0:37:25)
Sean is the most film-critical of the three, with a theory of Pacino as broken by Scarface and an argument that The Insider is his most calibrated performance. He admires Plummer's non-impression of Wallace and values the Mann-Roth research. He is less into the score and the style when applied to a white-collar story.
Stances
The Insider is probably Pacino's best performance
Mann's style strains for individuality and sometimes ages him
The movie is a little masturbatory when applied to a hotel-room decision story
The score is not his favorite Mann element
Humor: Wry and observational, with film-critic asides and self-deprecating comments about being excommunicated from the Mann club.
In their words
“I think this is truly his last great masterpiece.” (0:07:22)
“I think that the insider is probably his best performance because it's the one that is the most finely calibrated between loud, crazy, and kind of subtle and stormy” (0:12:36)
A DVD head and Letterboxd regular who would cave on the deleted scenes. Likes the fact sheets, craft details like Ozu, and friendship movies. Dislikes the sequel idea and the Costner scene being sat on forever.
Stances
Would show the cut Costner scene
Doubts Grand Canyon
Humor: Dry quips and the straight man to the Letterboxd jokes.
Cares about directorial craft and homage; Scorsese devotee. Praises performances and lessons over the direction, which he finds first-time-filmmaker plain. Bothered by mixed Goodfellas homages.
Stances
Wonders if Goodfellas echoes are purposeful
Scorsese directing would be more thrilling but less breezy
Wants answers on who planted the car bomb
Humor: Plays straight-man with deadpan nitpicks and question lists.
In their words
“my obsession with Martin Scorsese is probably rooted in the fact that I didn't have that.” (0:08:56)
“I just want to know how much of what he was doing was a purposeful homage to Goodfellas” (1:32:47)
Altman is in his top five favorite filmmakers and he knows the filmography cold, from Tanner '88 to Cookie's Fortune. He's a sucker for Carver and Blu-ray collecting and defends Greta Scacchi. He has little patience for TV-style stretches of an asshole.
Stances
Altman's legacy is the filmmakers he influenced
The Player is one of Altman's three or four best
Movies have been good for 15 months
The oral biography is the place to start with Altman
Humor: Dry and a little snobby about his own collector habits; deadpan fact-drops.
In their words
“He is in my top 5 favorite filmmakers ever.” (0:08:57)
“I think it's really like definitely one of his 3 or 4 best movies.” (0:10:20)
“I think movies have been good for like 15 months.” (1:40:05)
Film-nerd who values Willis's daring taste in directors and takes seriously the craft and the cultural footprint. Fond of Renny Harlin's Long Kiss Goodnight, De Palma, and a good that-guy roll call; skeptical of the movie's incoherent plot and the 9/11-erased airport.
Stances
Willis took risks with unproven filmmakers
Die Hard 2 is still among the better action movies of its era
Long Kiss Goodnight is Harlin's coolest movie
Air traffic control access was problematic
Humor: Dry, specific and film-literate; sets up jokes with precise references.
In their words
“he was willing to take on projects with filmmakers who were maybe not as proven.” (0:07:32)
Film-nerd who builds the big readings (Hitchcock lineage, Fincher career arc) and loves camera moves through walls and Blu-rays. Won't love the accent in Silence of the Lambs; sucker for nitpicks about propane physics.
Stances
Panic Room is Hitchcock doing Psycho after North by Northwest
Silence of the Lambs is still Foster's best
Likes Adventureland best of Stewart
Nitpicks the propane tank and phone logic
Humor: Dry and literate; gets teased for loving cameras inside walls and Blu-rays.
In their words
“I still think is probably the best thing she's ever been a part of” (0:29:47)
“I would say Adventureland is my favorite, Kristen Stewart” (1:34:50)
“Sean loves when we take cameras inside walls.” (1:21:07)
Loves Ang Lee's range, Brokeback Mountain, tragedy with satire, and thinking about how industry changes. Can't stand over-explained text. A sucker for Joan Allen and small observed behavior.
Stances
Lee has the most varied filmography of any major director in 30 years
The film is more satire than bum-out
Joan Allen is the apex pick
Humor: Earnest and precise, then undercuts with a deadpan aside.
In their words
“He probably has the most varied filmography of any major director in the last 30 years.” (0:09:07)
“Joan wins out of all the actors.” (1:23:11)
“I thought that movie was good, and that kind of came and went, and it was almost in the wrong decade.” (1:12:00)
Film-history lens: loves the Method actors versus movie-star divide, Scorsese's visual flourishes, and Newman's integrity. Dislikes the idea that Ebert missed the ending's point. A sucker for Grady Seasons and Amos scenes.
Stances
It's a torch-passing movie in both business and story
Ending ambiguity is the point, not a flaw
Newman integrity explains the forfeit
Scorsese is great at making a small movie feel big
Humor: Dry film-nerd asides, like claiming he will be 'young and vital forever.'
In their words
“Just that I'm going to be young and vital forever, so I still don't relate to any of that stuff, you know?” (0:21:09)
“it's one of the most exciting and entertaining movies he ever made.” (0:16:10)
“Newman is one of the few guys who basically fused both disciplines.” (0:05:48)
Proud Bill Murray devotee who frames careers in eras; loves the 'from hell' genre and craft details like cinematographer and editor credentials. A champion of Julie Hagerty and Dr. Melfi. Gets a kick out of deep trivia and the Muppets.
Stances
Murray has two phases, pre- and post-Rushmore
The film is a successor to Pacific Heights
Anna may be a post-college adult
Dreyfuss finally plays the character he was destined for
Humor: Confident, nerdy deep cuts and theory-building that makes the others groan, such as the post-college Anna reading.
In their words
“Think of this movie as a logical successor to Pacific Heights.” (0:46:51)
“Sean, you're a Bill Murray guy. Proudly. Proudly.” (0:03:35)
Admires Mann's themes and the rich cinematic lineage; calls himself a weed smoker for Heat but loves Thief. Fond of Caan's volatile nuance, finds Weld and Nelson fascinating.
Admires Fincher as a control-freak craftsman and sees Hitchcock behind Se7en. Can't stand when the Academy rewards uplift over difficult genre filmmaking. A sucker for the Freeman-as-lead reading.
Stances
Se7en is the darkest mainstream American movie ever made.
Pitt is not top-tier here; it is Freeman's movie.
Fincher won the movie.
Humor: Dry and precise, deadpan asides.
In their words
“this is just about the darkest mainstream American movie ever made.” (0:05:59)
“it's also just completely a Hitchcock movie in so many ways.” (0:14:30)
Critic-minded and history-minded: loves the real SNL oral histories, Siskel, Ritchie and Chandler-style noir. Cannot stand weak acting, especially Dana Wheeler-Nicholson here, and defends Siskel over Ebert. A sucker for HBO Max old movies.
Stances
You have to get Chevy Chase to get Fletch
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson is a bad actress
Ebert missed the point
Humor: Dry, authoritative asides and long rants framed as scholarship.
In their words
“I think if you don't get Chevy Chase, you will never get this movie.” (0:02:14)
“You may recall from the Tombstone podcast that I noted that she is a bad actress and she's not good in flutch.” (0:51:31)
Loves the Cameron-Ferris friendship, Hughes's relationships, and the film as a closed system of perfection. Cannot stand overthinking about why it works; a sucker for people who keep it together while coiled. Defends innocent fun and Cameron.
Stances
Ferris is the movie but audiences relate to Cameron
The film works as an unreplicable perfect moment
Jeffrey Jones was the right choice over Paul Gleason
Hughes is a rare writer who channels all kinds of characters
Humor: Dry, deadpan, quick to drop a zinger; the host who delivers the Silent Judge side-eye.
In their words
“It's like a, this is a very closed system of perfection.” (0:19:12)
“Your dirtbag ethics have nothing to do with what makes Ferris Bueller beautiful.” (1:26:08)
Treats Tarantino as the central author, loves Leo DiCaprio's work here, and defends the movie's themes against online complaints. Loves the Bruce Lee roof scene. Can't stand criticism that misses the point about beginnings and endings of careers.
Stances
Quentin wins every Tarantino movie
Leo's performance is the best of his career
The Margot Robbie criticism missed the point
Humor: Dry, deflecting, and gets teased about Equinox and Leo.
In their words
“I think Leo decided in like 1992.” (0:15:50)
“I think Quentin wins all of his movies.” (1:17:39)
Self-described not a huge Bond person who finds Skyfall scratches the part of his brain other Bonds do not; loves the Silva rat speech and dialogue scenes. A Peter Morgan disciple and Anglophile who can pick out British character actors.
Stances
Skyfall's action is accessible and legible
Silva dominates the film
Hacking is the worst-aged element
Humor: Deadpan nitpicks and bits about vlogging villains.
In their words
“I am not a huge bond person.” (0:04:20)
Their shows' recurring bits
Running bits, not opinions; a critic read aloud is cited, not present.
The Big Picture
Drafts: Hosts and guests draft films in rounds; every pick is a recommendation with an argument.
Hall of Fame: A star's or director's best, ranked and argued.
Countdowns: Ranked lists, top five or top ten.
The Rewatchables
Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.
Their claims
Showing 1,001–1,100 of 1,576 claims.
industry (industry):
Nomadland → Producers Guild Awards.
The PGAs have predicted most recent Best Picture winners, pointing to a Nomadland sweep.
“the PGAs have predicted 15 of the past 20 best picture winners”
programming (programming):
Errol Morris → Citizen Kane.
The Academy hired Errol Morris for short documentaries, one of which produced Donald Trump misreading Citizen Kane.
“he completely misreads Citizen Kane and misunderstands it and then kind of sort of predicts his own future in some respects”
lineage (lineage):
Sex, Lies, and Videotape → Brick.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape came out 17 or 18 years before Brick and felt like a different generation.
contrast (contrast):
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang → Ex Machina.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is Shane Black's thing, while Garland came from nowhere and arrived fully formed.
“Which is whereas whereas Kiss, Kiss, K Bang, Bang, is Shane Black's thing.”
people (people):
Being John Malkovich → Charlie Kaufman.
Sean sees Jonze and Kaufman as two artists who needed each other; Jonze made Kaufman's abstract ideas literal.
“Spike really was able to visualize and literalize a lot of Charlie's ideas, which are so abstract”
lineage (lineage):
Hard Eight (Sydney) → Jonathan Demme.
The into-camera close-ups in the diner are Demme-like; it is like Scorsese and Demme together.
“It's like if Scorsese and Demi made something together in a lot of ways.”
career (career):
Hard Eight (Sydney) → Boogie Nights.
Seeing Hard Eight after Boogie Nights was like a first album that got bigger distribution once the second took off.
“It was a little bit of a like 1st album, 2nd album thing”
contrast (contrast):
Hard Eight (Sydney) → Boogie Nights.
Boogie Nights is about being young, Hard Eight about getting older, so it was the harder first film to see.
“Boogie Nights is about being young and heart 8 is about getting older”
verdict (verdict):
Inglourious Basterds → Pulp Fiction.
One host puts Basterds first and Pulp Fiction second among Tarantino's films, behind both Reservoir Dogs.
“I feel like Bastards is number one, pretty clearly, and Pulp Pickers is number 2 pretty clearly.”
theme (theme):
Tiger → Earl Woods.
The first half frames Earl as a Dr. Frankenstein making Tiger into a monster of power and emotional danger.
“to show Earl Woods, his father, as the kind of Dr. Frankenstein, and making Tiger Woods into this kind of Frankenstein monster, for better and for worse”
contrast (contrast):
Tiger → The Last Dance.
Unlike The Last Dance, where Jordan and his team were producers with some control, Tiger is unauthorized and Woods does not sit for it.
“this is interesting, especially as a contrast of the last dance, which was, of course, the last big super sports documentary of recent times that wasn't authorized piece in which Michael Jordan and his compatriots were on board his producers.”
lineage (lineage):
Tiger → O.J.: Made in America.
Audiences are conditioned by Made in America and The Last Dance to expect soup-to-nuts sports documentaries that are really about larger ideas.
“we have become conditioned, in part because of OJ made in America, in part because of the last dance, to get this soup to nuts kind of story.”
theme (theme):
The Last Dance → O.J.: Made in America.
Both look bigger than their nominal subject: The Last Dance spans many years of Bulls teams, Made in America covers race in America over 60 years.
“O.J. Made in America is not just a story about O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson and that murder.”
lineage (lineage):
Pretend It's a City → Public Speaking.
Scorsese's 2010 HBO Lebowitz documentary was far more formalist than the loose Netflix series.
“There was a Martin Scorsese documentary about Fran Leboitz in 2010 called public speaking that aired on HBO.”
people (people):
Martin Scorsese → Fran Lebowitz.
Scorsese's affection for his friend Lebowitz mirrors the speaker's own urge to platform brilliant friends like Chris Ryan.
“I can feel and Scorsese, the same urges with Fran Leboitz, where he's just like, my friend is so cool and funny.”
industry (industry):
Malcolm & Marie → 1917.
Like 1917 last year, Malcolm & Marie is a late-entrant Oscar movie that is suddenly competing everywhere with a ready-made narrative.
“This is definitely what 1917 was to the Oscar race last year, the kind of late entrant that's like, oh, okay, this is competing in every category and is going to be really noisy”
people (people):
Malcolm & Marie → Zendaya.
The speaker finds undoubtedly amazing performances from Washington and Zendaya in an overwritten but beautiful film.
“undoubtedly amazing performances from Washington and Zendaya.”
“I think that Malcolm and Marie and Jews and the Black Messiah are probably the 2 big, this kind of showed up late to the party and are going to change the constitution of the nominations”
what-if (what-if):
The Godfather Part II → Harry and Tonto.
Pacino beating Art Carney at the 1975 Oscars could have broken the habit of giving great actors their Oscars two decades late.
“I think we could have just changed the arc of history, if we had given Pacino best actor for Godfather 2 in 1975 instead of Art Carney for Harry and Tonto.”
career (career):
Al Pacino → The Godfather Part II.
Speculating how an early Oscar might have altered Pacino's wild 1980s and later money-driven career.
“I just know that his performance in the Godfather Part 2 is arguably the greatest performance in the history of movies.”
craft (craft):
Full Metal Jacket → Stanley Kubrick.
The boot-camp first hour is cited as one of the great first halves of any movie; the Vietnam second half is very good with Kubrick hallmarks.
“that 1st hour is funny, terrifying, emotionally wrenching.”
lineage (lineage):
Preston Sturges → Nora Ephron.
Sturges's writer-first absurdist romantic comedy style influenced Ephron, James Brooks and Albert Brooks.
“obviously, like the Nora Efron of the world were really influenced by Sturgis movies, um, as were like James Brooks and, you know, the people like Albert Brooks”
contrast (contrast):
Preston Sturges → Howard Hawks.
Sturges lacks the restored, boxed-set iconography that Hitchcock, Ford, Kurosawa and Fellini enjoy.
“the way that, like, Hitchcock and John Ford and Akira Kurosawa, like, they're not slipping through the cracks.”
contrast (contrast):
Casablanca → Sullivan's Travels.
Casablanca still means something to the American moviegoer, while a Preston Sturges carousel on HBO Max would mean nothing to most.
“is there a carousel on HBO Max that says the Preston Sturgis collection? And does that mean anything to anyone?”
career (career):
Burt Lancaster → Sweet Smell of Success.
Lancaster dared to play hated characters and pursue strange films, especially Sweet Smell of Success.
“his willingness to be hated as a character in movies, especially sweet smell of success, but many of his movies.”
career (career):
Toshiro Mifune → Sanjuro.
Sanjuro is the second Sanjuro-character film after Yojimbo, and Mifune is the most fun person to watch on screen.
“I just rewatched Sunjuro, which is the 2nd movie after Yojimbo about the Sunjuro character, and he is just a lightning bolt.”
programming (programming):
Holiday → Bringing Up Baby.
Holiday was long out of circulation and is now on the Criterion Channel, likely prompting the question.
“a lot of people have been watching holiday because that had been out of circulation and is now on the criterion collection”
career (career):
Penny Serenade → None but the Lonely Heart.
Scorsese claims None but the Lonely Heart was Grant's only acting nomination, but he was also nominated for Penny Serenade, both when Grant was trying to break the persona.
“Carrie Grant has 2 Academy Award nominations in his career. For 2 movies that very few people have seen that are our age, none but the lonely heart and penny serenade.”
industry (industry):
Wonder Woman 1984 → Trolls World Tour.
Studios should release straight to VOD and live with unknown numbers; the likely VOD hits are Trolls World Tour, Tenet and The Croods 2.
“Trolls World Tour and Tenet and the Crudes 2 and a handful of other movies that if you just pull up, you know, iTunes or Amazon Prime right now, you'll see are dominating the charts.”
craft (craft):
Eyes Wide Shut → Stanley Kubrick.
The set would mean a long shoot with a great filmmaker, two stars in an actual marriage and untold stories.
“obviously you've got one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, 2 of our favorite stars in the midst of a marriage and a film about the potential dissolution of a marriage”
career (career):
Prisoner of the Ghostland → Sion Sono.
Sono, whose Why Don't You Play in Hell? and Tokyo Tribe are wild, teams with Nicolas Cage on an action movie.
“Prisoner of the Ghostland, which is a Sian Sono team up with Nicholas Cage.”
lineage (lineage):
Tiger → The Last Dance.
The interviewer says Tiger sits in league with Made in America and The Last Dance as sprawling psychological athlete profiles.
“We've seen now with OJ Made in America and the last dance, these kind of sprawling, complex psychological profiles, really, of these historic athletes.”
craft (craft):
Aaron Sorkin → David Fincher.
Sorkin excels when meeting a dark-hearted collaborator such as Fincher.
“I think that when he meets very darkhearted figures, either in the characters he's creating or in his counterparts creatively, like David Fincher, that's when he excels.”
contrast (contrast):
The Social Network → Zodiac.
Social Network was one host's top Fincher film; the Fincher podcast chose Zodiac as the purest Fincher.
craft (craft):
The Social Network → David Fincher.
Sorkin excels when paired with a dark-hearted counterpart like Fincher; the sum is greater than the parts.
“the magic in this is what happens when you put together like a just fantastic.”
programming (programming):
A Few Good Men → Network.
It is in the conversation for most rewatched movie of a lifetime, next to Network, Oz, Godfather, Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction.
contrast (contrast):
A Few Good Men → The Caine Mutiny.
It is a conventional military courtroom drama like The Caine Mutiny, yet has special energy due to Sorkin.
“some very good movies like the King Mutiny, some very mediocre movies like Rules of Engagement.”
theme (theme):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → A Few Good Men.
Both are courtroom dramas of principled argument; Cruise's charisma is key and Chicago 7 needs scene-chewers too.
“You have to have people that want to gnaw on the scenery, that want to yell, that want to be in the center of the frame.”
lineage (lineage):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → Medium Cool.
The Chicago trial and DNC events were told before in Haskell Wexler's part-documentary Medium Cool.
“Medium cool, Haskell Wexler's part documentary, part narrative feature in 1969 kind of reflects on the events at the DNC that year.”
lineage (lineage):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → Chicago 10.
The trial was also rendered in Brett Morgen's animated documentary Chicago 10, the HBO movie and Bananas.
“You can see it in a Brett Morgan animated documentary called Chicago 10.”
programming (programming):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → Moonlight.
Moonlight is the model of a film that was right for its moment, against which Chicago 7's timeliness is weighed.
“I always felt like Moonlight was a movie for its time in a very sentimental way”
contrast (contrast):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → Oliver Stone.
Chicago 7 raises the question of whether entertainment can justify itself on politics, as with Stone's films.
“as I said before about Oliver Stone and all of his other things, I think there's an interesting question here, like, is this movie entertaining enough to justify itself”
contrast (contrast):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → MC5.
The film's mix of faux-60s rock guitar and syrupy film score is faulted; MC5 is what the moment really sounded like and what a radical protester listened to.
“he has this like simulacra, like 60s rock and roll score where there's like electric tar combined with this very syrupy film music score.”
verdict (verdict):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → Aaron Sorkin.
Good and entertaining, worth watching, but politically small and the filmmaking not sharp enough.
programming (programming):
The Trial of the Chicago 7 → Mank.
Chicago 7 is a big fat fastball for the Oscars alongside Mank, Nomadland and Hillbilly Elegy.
“this is a big fat, fastball right down the middle.”
industry (industry):
Soul → Disney.
Soul skipping theaters for free Disney+ release shows Disney+ is aimed at kids and families and keeps subscribers from churning.
“it's a reason to not let your subscription lapse”
fun, about
Bohemian Rhapsody:
Queen's opening felt like a Jones Beach concert you'd see with your mom; and there were as many cutaways to Brian May in the show as in the film.
“It was just sort of like a concert you'd see at Jones Beach, like with your mom.”
fun, about
Die Hard / Red Desert:
His list runs from Fellini and Antonioni to Predator and Die Hard; Fennessey sums it up as Die Hard 8 or a Red Desert remake.
fun, about
Close Encounters of the Third Kind:
Chris moved it up the list mid-conversation after realizing how many ideas are in it; the Lucas/Spielberg wager story.
fun, about
Peter Sellers:
Sellers received a best actor nomination for what are effectively three supporting roles; the speakers think it may be the only such nomination.
“It is such a unique nomination to be like, this guy is the lead of the film because he plays 3 supporting characters in an ensemble.”