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It’s Movie Podcast Weekly, the show where we bring you at least one new movie review every single Tuesday. For Episode 104, we have six Feature Reviews for you, including: A Walk Among the Tombstones and The Maze Runner and The Zero Theorem and No Good Deed and Believe and Walk of Shame. You have your usual four hosts and special guest William Rowan Jr.. And as always, we bring you our Mini Reviews of what we’ve been watching lately, as well as our genre segments. Enjoy!
If you’re new to our show… Movie Podcast Weekly typically features four hosts — Jason, Andy, Karl and Josh — along with frequent guests. We give you our verdicts on at least one new movie release from the current year that’s currently playing in theaters or on VOD, as well as several mini reviews of whatever we’ve been watching lately. And we usually provide specialized genre recommendations. New episodes release every single Tuesday. Join us!
SHOW NOTES:
I. Introduction
— Welcome guest William Rowan Jr.
— Nice tweet from @ThumbsOfClay
II. Mini Reviews
Jason: The Siege, School of Rock
— Next week we’ll review “Tusk.”
— Listen to Episode 026 of Horror Movie Podcast.
— Quick recommendations currently streaming on Netflix:
Filth, Cave Man, World’s Greatest Dad, Adventureland, The Intouchables, In Bruges, Punch-Drunk Love, God Bless America
— Also streaming: A Fantastic Fear of Everything.
— Jason recalls that Josh recommends: Robot & Frank
— Steve Hernandez text on Godzilla (2014)
Josh: A Perfect Getaway, Godzilla (2014) on Blu-ray, The Descendants (Much later in the show: Non-Stop)
Andy: Mickey Blue Eyes, Kill the Irishman, In a World…, Carrie, Blood Glacier, Charlie Countryman, Contracted, Hugo, Big Bad Wolves, Blue Ruin
William Rowan Jr: Jodorowsky’s Dune, Dune (1984)
Karl: Still watching “All Is Lost”
III. What’s New in Theaters This Past Weekend
— The Maze Runner
— A Walk Among the Tombstones
— This Is Where I Leave You
— The Guest
— Tusk
— The Zero Theorem [ Limited ]
— Tracks [ Limited ]
— 20,000 Days on Earth [ Limited ]
— Keep on Keepin’ On [ Limited ]
— Hector and the Search for Happiness [ Limited ]
— Pump [ Limited ]
— Stop the Pounding Heart [ Limited ]
— Swim Little Fish Swim [ NYC ]
FEATURE REVIEWS HAVE TIME STAMPS:
[ 0:48:08 ] IV. Feature Review: THE ZERO THEOREM (2014)
Andy = 8 ( Rental )
Josh = 8 ( Low-priority Rental )
William Rowan Jr. = 8 ( Rental )
[ 1:09:41 ] V. Feature Review: THE MAZE RUNNER (2014)
Karl = 9 ( Theater / Buy it! )
[ 1:16:42 ] VI. Feature Review: A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES (2014)
Jason = 8.5 ( Theater / Buy it! )
William Rowan Jr. = 8 ( Theater / Rental )
[ 1:33:44 ] VII. Feature Review: BELIEVE (2014)
Karl = 6.5 ( Rental )
[ 1:38:02 ] VIII. Feature Review: NO GOOD DEED (2014)
Jason = 5 ( Low-priority Rental )
[ 1:42:31 ] IX. Feature Review: WALK OF SHAME (2014)
Jason = 5 ( Rental )
X. Specialty Segments:
JOSHUA LIGAIRI’S CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Josh has no recommendation this week … except, maybe
Documentary: The Final Member (2012), which he hasn’t seen yet…
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT ONE MOVIE? – WITH A GUY NAMED ANDY:
Last week’s movie: Zodiac (2007)
CONTEST QUOTATION FOR NEXT TIME:
C: I can put you in Queens on the night of the hijacking.
H: Really? I live in Queens! Did you put that together yourself, Einstein? Got a team of monkeys working around the clock on this?
ANDY’S RULES:
– One entry per listener per week; Entries must be received before the episode discussing the film posts (typically the following Tuesday at 8 a.m.)
– No using the Internet or other reference material to look it up (honor system)
– 3 winners will be selected each month and will receive their choice from Josh’s collection of used and new films.
– Entries are made by e-mailing us at MoviePodcastWeekly@gmail.com with the subject line “What’s the Name of that one movie?” or tweeting @MovieCastWeekly “What’s the name of that one movie?: (your answer)”
JAY OF THE DEAD’S 1970s HORROR-THON:
Countess Dracula (1971) = 4 ( Avoid )
But if you wish to watch it, the full movie is here on YouTube: Countess Dracula (1971)
KARL HUDDLESTON’S GREAT PERFORMANCES AND MIGHTY LINES:
Film: A Prayer for the Dying (1987) = 8 ( Rental )
Great Performance: Mickey Rourke as Martin Fallon
XI. Wrap-Up / Plugs / Ending
— Thank David from the UK and Randy from Tucson for their donations!
— Josh’s photos from actual movie locations can be found in the comments section below. Up next week, Josh’s photos from locations of the hit televisions show Lost.
COMING UP ON MPW NEXT WEEK:
THE EQUALIZER and TUSK. Join us Tuesday!
LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Contact MPW:
E-mail us: MoviePodcastWeekly@gmail.com.
Leave us a voicemail: (801) 382-8789.
Leave a comment in the show notes for this episode.
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Right-click to download the MPW 100 Rap
If you’re a Horror fan, listen to Jason and Josh on HORROR MOVIE PODCAST
Josh’s links:
Twitter: @IcarusArts
Josh covers streaming movies on: Movie Stream Cast
We’d like to thank The Dave Eaton Element and Dave Eaton himself for the use of his music for our theme song.
If you like Movie Podcast Weekly, please subscribe and leave us a review in iTunes. If you want to support the show, we have PayPal buttons in our right-hand sidebar where you can make a one-time donation or you can become a recurring donor for just $2 per month. (Every little bit helps!)
Thanks for listening, and join us again next Tuesday for Movie Podcast Weekly.
My photos from actual movie locations I geekily visited while in Hawaii.
Punch Drunk Love (2002)
I took this moments after checking into the historic Royal Hawaiian hotel when I noticed this familiar passageway to the beach from down the hall. A perfect way to start the trip.
Jurassic Park (1993)
I happened upon several epic locations used in Jurassic Park on both Oahu and Kauai–Kualoa Ranch is just one of them. This same spot (which is seriously huge in scale) has also been used in several other films, as well as the TV series, LOST (more on that later).
A Perfect Getaway (2009)
I hiked 8 miles of the Na Pali Coast’s Kalalau Trail depicted in the flick with Rachel, my lovely co-host on Movie Stream Cast. We even swam in the waterfall, just like in the movie. Afterward, upon rewatching the film, I was annoyed to find that they had only filmed the establishing shots in Kauai and the cast actually hiked in Puerto Rico. Lame.
Godzilla (2014)
I took this shot at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu where Godzilla comes out of the water. I thought that the fireworks added a nice bonus effect of being reminiscent of the movie. Seeing as the firework show happens every Friday night, I couldn’t help think that the filmmakers must have been inspired by this image as well.
Coming up next week, some major #TVgeekery when I post photos from my visits to locations from the the hit TV show LOST! And for a little added embarrassment, check out this blog entry from a few years back that explains this passion/obsession even more clearly: “Regional Film Watching” by Joshua Ligairi
Wow, these photographs are just beautiful. Surreally paradisiacal. Looks like you had quite an adventure Josh!
Josh, are these taken with your phone? They kind of look like film, particularly the second and third images. They look like they were cross-processed. Or maybe it’s just one of those hip filters.
Haha. Actually, the first and fourth were taken with a real camera. The second and third have filmic filters because they were taken with my phone and needed the filters to look somewhat presentable.
Hahaha that really hurt my wannabe photographer ego. Granted, I’m not much of one and I think this proves it haha.
Oh, no. You saw what you were meant to see. Plus, you totally called out the possibility of filters. And they are not just push-button, out of the box filters. Both photos have a mix of filters that I tweaked. So, your photographers eye is fine. And I’m glad that the filters had the desired effect.
Perfectly timed as always. I just made some ramen noodles which, though delicious, are rather boring to eat, but not when I have a new episode of Movie Podcast Weekly to soundtrack my pseudo-meal!
(Yes, it is the sad truth that should this podcast not have been posted at such a convenient juncture I would indeed have been sat alone, eating noodles in the hollow silence of my own company. Slurps echoing mournfully about the cold early hours of Wednesday morning)
– David
Woah. I missed the most important part of this post. You’re eating instant noodles for breakfast?!! Yuck.
Whoa, time out! What’s wrong with that? I can eat virtually anything for breakfast. Josh, are you one of those people that can only do “breakfast” items for breakfast?
Hell yes! There are only a select few “dinner” foods that are appropriate for breakfast. Steak and eggs is one such example. I would also accept cold restaurant leftovers on my breakfast plate. Cold pizza, for sure! Some cold Mexican food is always good as is cold Indian food or any curry. I could even do cold Udon, since we are on the subject! But … to start your day with a hot bowl of salty garbage?! No way, man.
I won’t lie and say that I’ve NEVER had instant noodles for breakfast, maybe once or twice in my darkest moments, but my actual breakfast yesterday was poached egg and avocado on toast with homemade pico de gallo. It was delicious!
Ha! it was about 1.30 in the morning for me when I posted that so I hadn’t actually gone to bed yet. Is that even worse?
No, that’s better. Far better.
David,
Thanks for being so gracious about our episode releases… I try to be as consistent as possible.
When I was an LDS missionary, I lived in Silver City, New Mexico, for 5 months. And I ate Ramen noodles for lunch every single day during that time. I hate the stuff now, but here’s a recommendation: Creamy chicken flavor Ramen noodles with cashew nuts! Not bad.
If you ever visit the states, David, particularly Utah, let us know, and we’ll all hang out and eat something yummier than Ramen noodles.
Jason
Thanks for the Ramen recommendation Jason! Do you add the cashew nuts yourself? If so that’s a great idea and a good way of adding some much needed nutrition!
And if I ever find myself in Utah hanging out with you guys would be the first thing on my list!
Anyway, I’ve only made it through the mini-reviews so far but now it’s time for bed. It’s great to have Josh back this week and a returning guest appearance by William.
Also, I haven’t seen “Blue Ruin” yet but now I feel that I definitely should. On my list it goes.
David wrote: “…I haven’t seen “Blue Ruin” yet but now I feel that I definitely should. On my list it goes.”
Jason: Then my work here is complete. I guarantee you will like “Blue Ruin.” We all do. Watch it next!
JP
Juan: I’ve tried quite a few on that list actually. I can safely say that Myojo Ippei-chan (or night market) yakisoba that he has at the #1 spot are some of the tastiest instant yakisoba I’ve had, though nothing beats the real thing.
For the best Japanese instant noodles though you want the ones that come in long, straight packets containing dried noodles bound together and a variety of different sachets and pastes. These are some of my favourites: http://www.japancentre.com/items/marutai-kagoshima-style-tonkotsu-ramen-noodles-kurobuta
Again not the same as the real thing but an absolute world away from any domestic noodles I’ve had. I have to rely on these to get my tonkotsu fix most of the time.
I don’t know if you guys have ever had “real” Japanese Ramen (I never had until this year), but I highly recommend it. Incredible. And get it with the pork cheek. Also, Udon. As a long time fan of Americanized sushi and tepanyaki, I’ve only recently (over the last two years) been educated in legit Japanese cuisine (from my Japanese-American sushi chef friend) and I’ve been blown away. And if you are ever in Hawaii, I can give you some strong recommendations for restaurants that apparently have the best Ramen, Udon and Japanese curry outside of Japan (according to two friends that have lived in Japan).
Josh, I’m a huge fan of Japanese cuisine but unfortunately it’s incredibly rare that I ever get to a decent authentic Japanese restaurant. One of my favourite things to eat in the world is a good bowl of tonkotsu (My preference is for the Kumamoto style with black garlic but there’s a lot to be said for the more traditional Hakata style too).
When I cook at home I tend to make a lot of Japanese style food, most often basic stuff like katsu curry or yakisoba, so I buy ingredients from an online importer and I have to say some of the imported Japanese packet noodles, while not restaurant standard, are pretty amazing and put any domestic instant ramen I’ve had to shame.
Man, you’ve got me craving more noodles already.
Also to keep this conversation legit I’ll recommend the wonderful Japanese food-comedy movie “Tampopo” from 1985. A great commentary on the Japanese relationship with cuisine and an excellent film in its own right.
– David
Yes! Well done, sir.
Josh, you beat me to it. When I read Jay’s and David’s comments on ramen, I almost had a heart attack. That’s not real ramen guys, those are noodles. And while I won’t hate on them because they were good to me during my college years, they are not my first choice when it comes to any kind of food. I’m lucky to have tons of Japanese food places to pick from. The sushi scene here has been top notch for a long while now. The ramen shops just started taking off a couple years ago, but man, they are great and new ones just keep popping up all over the place. Out of the types of ramen that I’ve tried my favorite by far is Tonkotsu which is pork. And as far as the noodles themselves, if you have a choice, I’d go with the thin noodles. I like Udon noodles (the really thick ones), but if you really want to get that slurp right, the thin noodles are perfect!
You’re making me hungry, Juan.
Juan, Just to clarify, I only used the term “ramen” with regards to inauthentic instant noodles because that’s what I always hear Americans describe them as. Over here we just call them “instant noodles” or “pot noodles”.
I assure you that I’m aware of the great disparity between the aforementioned noodles and a proper bowl of ramen.
And I agree with you when it comes to noodle thickness. A decent bowl of tonkotsu requires good quality thin noodles that the broth should adhere to. I’ve always thought udon noodles are more suited to use in yaki udon.
I do envy you having a good Japanese food scene in your area. There’s nothing like that in my crappy town.
Nothing against thin Ramen, but you guys just haven’t had the right Udon if you’re hating on thick noodles.
You guys should do an episode of Ramen in movies.
David, sorry, I didn’t mean to call anyone out. I’m sure you’re well informed on Japanese food based on your interest for Japanese culture. Oh and here in Texas, we refer to instant noodles as Maruchan because it’s a very popular brand of instant noodles. I survived on that stuff (15 cents per package) during college. It came in all kinds of flavors, but it didn’t have dehydrated meat. If you wanted to go that fancy, it would cost you 50 cents, which was out of my budget back then. Now there’s fancier ones that are like $1-$2. I haven’t tried them, but I’m curious. This list certainly makes me want to delve into the instant noodle world.
http://www.theramenrater.com/top-ten-lists/by-country/top-ten-japanese-instant-noodles-japan-2014/
Hey I don’t have any hate in my heart for udon noodles, but in a bowl of Tonkotsu? That’s like putting “Zodiac” in a list of cinematic disappointments.
In truth though it is likely that I indeed haven’t had the right udon. I concede that you are a much more worldly man than myself Mr. Ligairi.
Juan: I’ve tried quite a few on that list actually. I can safely say that Myojo Ippei-chan (or night market) yakisoba that he has at the #1 spot are some of the tastiest instant yakisoba I’ve had, though nothing beats the real thing.
For the best Japanese instant noodles though you want the ones that come in long, straight packets containing dried noodles bound together and a variety of different sachets and pastes. These are some of my favourites: http://www.japancentre.com/items/marutai-kagoshima-style-tonkotsu-ramen-noodles-kurobuta
Again not the same as the real thing but an absolute world away from any domestic noodles I’ve had. I have to rely on these to get my tonkotsu fix most of the time.
Oh, no. I wasn’t suggesting that. Sacrilege.
Also, you seem easily as worldly, if not more, when it comes to Japanese cuisine. I’ve just had some killer Udon that I know can blow minds.
I love that the most interesting thing about this episode is what David was eating when he started listening to it.
And Josh, I just reread this:
“I concede that you are a much more worldly man than myself Mr. Ligairi.”
and realised that it could come off as rather acerbic and sarcastic but I assure you I was being nothing other than sincere.
Somebody needs to bring food-based distractions to the table now that Andy no longer rustles his snack bags throughout the episode.
Gotcha, David. And just to clarify, when I said “sacrilege” I was referring to the idea that I was suggesting Udon in a bowl Tonkotsu. No way, Jose. Or Juan, for that matter.
This is one of my favorite comment board interaction ever. Thank you Josh and David for participating.
Let’s make a transition to movies for a second. I’ve been quite busy lately and, like Andy, have been doing my homework lately. These are some of the movies I’ve seen for the past two weeks along with a little blurb on what I thought on them:
The Sacrament
Not a bad movie at all. In fact, it was pretty good, but did it seem like it lacked some energy? It almost seemed like Ti West was bored and he felt like doing this on a whim without any real inspiration to do it in the first place. Very competent film, but not great. Oh and not a horror film, though I can see where Jay is coming from. An 8/10.
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Very entertaining documentary on Cannon Films. If you’re a fan of their stuff, you’ll love this. If the name Cannon Films is new to you, you’ll be amazed at the wackiness that’s on display. I just wish we could’ve gotten some real insight into the minds of the founders. This is an 8.5/10.
Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD
Another highly entertaining and eye opening documentary. I didn’t realize how much the Americans stole from the British. At least, from what the documentary tells us. A must if you’re a fan of comics. An 8/10.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
A pleasant surprise. I honestly didn’t think much of the trailer, so my interest for this film was fairly low. It’s a film with deep thoughts, but presented in a very light and feel good kind of way. It’s an 8/10.
Big Trouble in Little China
It was my first time watching this and I never really knew what it was about, so this was a pretty mind blowing experience. I really have no words to describe how crazy and odd my experience was. I’m not sure if everything that was on screen was done on purpose or if it was pure coincidence. But if it was all planned, bravo! Here are some lines from the film that summarize how I feel about the movie:
Jack Burton: I’m a reasonable guy. But, I’ve just experienced some very unreasonable things.
Jack Burton: I don’t get this at all. I thought Lo Pan…
Lo Pan: Shut up, Mr. Burton! You are not brought upon this world to get it!
(I forgot who said this): You know what this is? This is like some radical Alice In Wonderland
It’s a 9/10.
The Golden Child
After watching Big Trouble in Little China, this was just ok. Eddie Murphy was charming as usual and the movie was pretty entertaining, though nothing special. It’s a 6.5/10.
All is Lost
Another film that took me entirely by surprise. No dialogue! What?! Incredibly entertaining and the subtlety of Robert Redford’s performance was pretty incredible. I don’t think just anyone could’ve pulled it off. A more ambiguous ending would’ve suited the film better, but a very strong film nonetheless. A 9/10.
Only Lovers Left Alive
A very nice take on the vampire lore. I appreciated the scale of the film and the performances were great all around. The ending, although fun, was a bit cheesy. I’m still deciding wether that was a fitting ending to the movie. Either way, I felt like the movie stumbled a bit towards the end. An 8.5/10.
Three Kings
Wow, I can’t believe I waited this long to watch this. I blame Ice Cube for that, but I have to say that he was actually pretty good. The over-saturated look of the film took me by surprise and I kind of hated it at first, but I quickly changed my mind about it. Anyway I think the film looks great, the pacing is tight, and just about everything about this movie is way up there. Jay, I can’t believe the humor in this turns you off. I think it’s perfect! It’s a 10/10.
I have a few more. I’ll post them later tonight. Stay tuned…
Juan, I moved your post to a new thread just for clarity.
Now, about your mini-reviews …
The Sacrament
Truthfully, I can see where Jay is coming from. The way these reviews work sometimes is that I take the opposing stance to whoever I think is being overly-praising or overly-dismissive of a film, because I think most movies have their ups and downs and those deserve discussion. To be clear: This never changes my rating, just my posture during the discussion. And I only take a stance if I honestly agree with it and find it arguable. I thought Jay was going to hate The Sacrement, so I came in prepared to defend it. But, when I hear him drooling all over it, I thought, “Okay, well it has some major problems too. Let’s talk about those.” The reverse of that comes to plat with something like Paranormal Activity. I enjoyed it a lot, but I thought Jay was going to LOVE it, so I planned on challenging him. Well, instead, he was utterly dismissive, so I had to stand up for the many parts I liked.
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Gotta see this right away!
Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD
Gotta see this one too!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Glad you liked it. It is an easy one to criticize in our snarky internet troll era, but I truly loved it.
Big Trouble in Little China
Classic. Glad to hear a fresh take on it.
All is Lost
Great film.
Only Lovers Left Alive
Can’t wait to discuss this on an upcoming HMP.
Three Kings
So, so, so, so, so glad you appreciated this. Agree with you 100% The film was actually cross-processed, by the way, a huge risk when shooting an entire feature on film. Also, in context, this look hadn’t been done as much as it has now with all the modern filters to approximate what they did au natural. This movie is so much fun and so smart. Near-perfect war film for this era, I think.
There’s a lot of these that I haven’t seen but that “2000AD” documentary sounds really interesting and “Big trouble in Little China” is of course a totally insane classic. Great fun!
David, I’m really curious to hear your take on the 2000AD documentary. I’m not sure if you’re a fan of the comics, but being that you’re British, perhaps you’ll have a more personal, more direct view on the topic.
I have a sort of strange relationship with 2000AD actually.
When I was young comic books seemed a decidedly American cultural phenomenon and it was in that attachment that a big part of their allure lay. There were no dedicated comic shops in my neck of the woods but in big cities you could find the odd specialist store that sold American imports. Those were the places I was drawn to to get my comics (mainly Darkhorse stuff as I was never much of a superhero guy) so I kind of dismissed the few domestic comics that you could find on the shelf of any newsagent or supermarket. 2000AD was one of these and it wasn’t until a friend started buying issues that I really came to appreciate them, they struck me as being extremely edgy and violent at the time. Although I never became a big 2000AD collector or anything I would still be very interested to see this documentary.
Okay, so apologies for the noodle tangent. Time to talk movies I guess?
So I’m definitely interested to see “The Zero Theorem” now, I’m a big Terry Gilliam fan anyway but the question apparently raised by the film is exactly the kind of concept I love to see explored. I actually found myself wanting you guys to elaborate more on your ideas about this but I understand if you didn’t feel it was appropriate on the podcast or something. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a religious person and I do tend towards the belief that after I die it’ll just be the same as before I was born; I’ll be gone. This may seem a nihlistic or negative viewpoint to many but personally I believe that this outlook gives even more value to the time that I’m alive and to the lives of all other people and creatures. I don’t believe that there’s anything inherently scary about ceasing to be (aside from ceasing to be prematurely and/or the foreknowledge that our loved ones will feel grief) as I don’t recall anything unpleasant about the time before I existed. I also don’t see that such a view should render life meaningless, more-so I believe it emphasises the meaningfulness of life. We only have a short time and should cherish, respect and embrace it.
All that said I try to keep an open mind and to remain concious of the fact that my experience and knowledge with regards to life and the Universe is so massively limited that I’m in no position to draw anything close to a definitive or educated conclusion. I’m always fascinated by other peoples approach towards the after-life or lack-there-of and I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t find the concept of an eternal human spirit/soul extremely compelling.
Anyway, I really appreciated “The Zero Theorem” review, especially William’s thoughts on the films subject matter. I was quite surprised to hear that Josh isn’t a big fan of “Brazil” though. I hope he’s seen the proper cut of the film and not that awful happy-ending version! Also, I’d be very interested to hear what his favourite Gilliam films are?
Yes, William nailed that review. I wish I’d have brought more to the table, but I was seriously jet-lagged this episode and pretty out-of-it for the last half.
It’s not that I hate Brazil, I just think it is overrated compared to so much of Gilliam’s work that goes under-appreciated. I don’t think there is a film of his that I actually dislike. If I had to rate them, they’d rank as follows:
The Life of Brian (writer)
Twelve Monkeys
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Time Bandits
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Zero Theorem
Tideland
The Fisher King
Brazil
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Jabberwocky
The Meaning of Life
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Brothers Grimm
And, from what I’ve seen from the brilliant Lost in La Mancha, I think I’d end up ranking The Man Who Killed Don Quixote just under 12 Monkeys.
That’s an extremely interesting ranking Josh.
I’m somewhat surprised to see “Time Bandits” so much higher than “The Fisher King”, “Brazil” and “Fear and Loathing…”. I haven’t seen “Time Bandits” in forever and now I feel I should revisit it, The same goes for “The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen”. I guess they are the kind of movies that it’s easy to write off as overly fantastical/whimsical but that doesn’t mean they are lesser films.
I should also admit that I’ve never seen “Tideland”. I can’t for the life of me remember what it was but something really put me off seeing that movie.
As for a ranking of my own, I don’t feel fit to do so without all the films being fresher in my mind but I can safely say that “Twelve Monkeys” is my favourite.
To respond to your personal/religious sharing time:
Between being raised on the teachings of Jesus and being raised on the tenants of Star Wars, the idea of a spirit and/or force and energy greater than ourselves seems extremely difficult to separate from my world view. Religion taught me to tap into that emotional part of myself (like when Luke is lightsaber training with the blaster shield down) and “reach out with my feelings.” I also respond strongly to the notion that each life has a purpose and potential that reaches beyond the dust of the earth. I also like the idea, that I thought was well-expressed in the movie Noah, that God could choose imperfect, regular people to carry-out his will. All of this jives with my beliefs and up-bringing.
I will say that I am very put-off by the Christianity I’ve seen depicted in documentaries like Jesus Camp. That stuff scares me. So, for that reason, and because the Mormon religion provided my religious base in Christianity, I don’t imagine myself ever departing from that in favor of another religious tradition, even though I’m a pretty concerned with some of the social stances the Mormon church is taking presently and I am much more liberal than the leaders of the church. This is my tribe. As much as I hold dear the teachings of Jesus, I also dig many of the practices of Buddhism, the shared traditions of Judaism, some of the tenants of Islam … it’s just not my path. I can’t wash the Mormon out of my world view.
Having said that, I am also completely open to the notion that I am wrong about everything and personally know nothing. I share your wonder for the immensity of the universe and intellectually understand the probability that I am insignificant. I feel that when I study outer space. I even felt that in the wilds of Alaska, standing there amongst the trees and snow without another person around me for hundreds of miles. We are small. There is so much we don’t know. And I love science, but on the other hand, I am also aware of it’s inconsistencies over time, just as I am aware of the inconsistencies of religion and religious people.
And so, in the end, I try to stay in touch with my higher power, I try to live by the values I … uh, value … and I try to keep an open mind. I don’t have an agenda either way and I don’t think science and religion are mutually exclusive.
Back to movies … and noodles.
An insightful and intelligent response Josh, though I would expect nothing less!
Wow, your point about Luke reaching out “with his feelings” actually hit me really hard. It may sound silly but as a fellow child of “Star Wars” it made me realise that I need to concede that there are intangible forces in which I invest faith. I believe that emotions like love and friendship are more than just electrical signals and chemicals. More than something that can be cynically written off as a “midichlorian count” so to speak.
I really don’t think there’s any “right” or “wrong” when it comes to personal philosophy, religion and spirituality. The only associated attitudes that I find hard to stomach are those of the extremely dogmatic variety. In fact as I get older I find myself more disenfranchised with a an Atheist trying to force me to believe that there isn’t a God than I would be with a Christian trying to force me to believe that there is. A big part of the reason I find myself so attracted to the work of someone like Carl Jung is his open mindedness with regards to spirituality and the intangible. I remember reading that he believed dreams to be the last link we have to a long forgotten shared level of conciousness. That’s another concept that fascinates me and that I really appreciate.
Anyway, this is getting waaaaay tangential again so I’ll stop before Jays tangent-hating head explodes!
David,
I’m glad you like my review of “The Zero Theorem”. And thanks Josh for saying I nailed the review. Very kind words and it’s nice to know you’re not alone in your thinking and ideas.
On the other hand, I did not think I nailed it at all. Even though I have been a guest on the podcast the second most, I still feel like I’m finding my place and voice, with and alongside the other hosts.
I wanted to express how I felt about ‘The Zero Theorem’ because how I feel when I watch a movie is the most important gage I start with when reviewing them. I tried to keep my conversation only about the movie, but I noticed I let my personal feelings and stories seep their way in. I’m only human, which means I’m deeply flawed. The fact that anything I said made you more interested in seeing it is a win for me and makes my ramblings worth it. Even though I’ll do my best to keep my deeper personal thoughts here.
For example:
I tried (and failed) to explain that even though I can’t prove there is an afterlife, or have any good reason to believe there would be one, I still feel like it is a much more beautiful thing (for myself) to choose to believe there is one. I find it more poetic and in some weird way more positive thinking. I like the idea of it and so I simply wrap myself around with all of its abstract and unprovable comfort. A leap of faith, so to speak. Or maybe a better example would be; I like a good ending to a good story. So I tell my story the way I think it should be. Knowing full-well that I have no real idea about the absolute facts and truths of the thing. And regardless of this belief, I live my life as if every day is the only day that matters. That’s healthy living (as I see it) whether you believe in the afterlife or not.
My point: If there ever came a day when I could prove there was nothing after death… I wouldn’t do it, I would not tell anyone. I would simply let it die with me and let the world dream it’s beautiful dreams. And I thought about all of this while watching ‘The Zero Theorem’. Thanks Terry Gilliam for dreaming up your dreams and having the determination to share them with the world through the art of film-making.
On a side note:
I forgot to mention/ask if Josh or Andy saw the brief appearance of Robin Williams in the first few minutes of “The Zero Theorem”. I wonder if this is one of the last movies he did.
I definitely appreciate what you’re saying here William. I’d never in my life want to be put in such a position but if I were I think I might be inclined to do as you would. It’d be a hard choice to make but such a conclusion might bring so much despondency and misery to the world that I wouldn’t want to be the one to reveal it.
I like the idea that even if there isn’t actually a Heaven (and I’m not saying there isn’t) it would still have a great deal of meaning in its existence as perceived by those with faith. A state of comfort and peace before we pass on could be worth a huge amount whether it’s based in fact or not.
Jay is so going to be like “Wow! 30+ comments already!” and then he’ll read them and realise they’re all just about noodles.
Hahahaha I’m kind of waiting for Jay’s thoughts on that too, David. I’m almost certain that these kinds of tangents annoy him, but he’s too nice to say anything about it. Jay, sorry that we use your boards as a means of texting each other our random thoughts, but come on, you guys do it during the podcast too, which is great by the way—I love it when you guys’ train of thought completely derails and Josh gets annoyed and Jay gets annoyed (though he’s not vocal about it like Josh which makes it all the funnier). I love you guys!
What is life if not just a series of irrelevant tangents that annoy Jay?
You can tell Jay is annoyed by a tangent when you get a random segue. Everyone is talking about waffles and then Jay responds with his review of the film as though it is natural, I guess hoping we’ll all forget what we were talking about.
Ha ha ha — you weirdos crack me up.
It’s hilarious how many noodle-related comments there are, but you guys can chat about whatever you want. I love the MPW (and HMP) community. I feel like we’re all friends, and that kind of randomness is what friends do.
But when it comes to the podcast itself, as the host, I do try to moderate and guide the conversation somewhat. I’ll be the first to admit (and Josh will vehemently confirm) that I’m a control freak — especially when it comes to MPW and HMP, but my foremost governing principle for hosting this podcast is simply to make it the kind of movie podcast that I would want to hear.
I have listened to hours upon hours (literally hundreds!) of movie podcast episodes, and I could give you a huge list of pet peeves and annoyances that I hate… So, I try to avoid all of those things. ( Indeed, I’m certain you all could make an annoyance list about MPW and HMP, as well. I get that. )
Bottom line — I like a movie podcast to be about movies. So, you might notice, I’ll let us go on a tangent forever, as long as it’s movie-related. But yeah, we probably won’t talk about noodles for very long on the show.
Though you guys are welcome to write about them here as much as your hearts desire. Go nuts!
Thanks for listening and for writing.
Much love,
JP
P.S. for Josh: Those photos are exceptional. Thanks for posting them.
Jay, one of things that I really love about this podcast (and of course HMP) is how you strike a perfect balance of natural, organic conversation and focused, consistent content. There’s a healthy allowance for certain tangents and side-tracks (notably the Jan-Gel arc on HMP) but they’re never uninteresting, totally irrelevant or self indulgent. The worst thing to hear on a podcast is a bunch of guys half-assing it, insulting each other, making immature and offensive jokes and dismissing any opportunity to actually talk intelligently about the subject at hand. You guys are pretty much the opposite of that; sure you have fun, but it feels like you never have anything less than the utmost respect for your subject matter and for your audience. I genuinely appreciate that so much.
Wow, David. Thank you. Truly humbled. We sincerely appreciate it. We’ll try not to let you down. : )
Jason
I thought about posting the horror movies on HMP, but since you guys brought up Blood Glacier…
Anyway, to continue the list of stuff that I’ve been watching lately:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
This was a recommendation from David and boy was he right about the remake being great. I was super impressed by the special effects the first five minutes of the movie or so. I don’t know what techniques they used, but no way that was CGI. Either way, it looked incredible. I’m particularly talking about the gaseous shapes during the opening credits and the water effects on the leaves. I loved the original and I loved this one. My only big complaint is the scene of the dog with the human face. Everything else managed to have a very serious tone except for that one scene. It seemed very out of place. I did miss the theme of love, which was more present in the original. This is a 9/10.
Invaders from Mars
This was such a trip trough memory lane. I loved this movie as a kid and even though there’s a definite silliness to the whole movie, there’s a certain atmosphere present, especially during the beginning when people take walks behind the house at night, that gives me chills. The movie hasn’t aged well, and the acting ranges from ok to terrible. Still, it’s a lot of fun and it’s worth revisiting once in a while. This ia 7/10.
Berberian Sound Studio
This is in a way the opposite of a silent film. Instead of seeing images and hearing no sound, we hear sounds but see no images. I like this concept a lot and the movie manages to stay interesting visually with very little to show. But the hero here is the sound. The sound is just incredible. It’s too bad I don’t have a great sound system, otherwise I think I would’ve scored this higher. This is an 8.5/10.
Odd Thomas
William Rowan Jr. was half right about this one in my opinion. It is a very entertaining movie, it’s very funny and even clever. But I wouldn’t put this one in the so-bad-it’s-good category. There’s definitely a certain level of control and skill here that warrants some credit. Just like the title though, this movie is pretty odd. The humor is not for everyone and there’s a very shocking ending that goes against the feel of the entire movie. I thought it was a very odd way to end it. This is a 6.5/10.
Blood Glacier
Ok, yes this was a bit ridiculous, but come on! A movie called Blood Glacier surely won’t win any oscars. It was very entertaining, it had a nice atmosphere, and it delivered exactly what the title says. This is a 6.5/10.
Graceland
A well made low-budget thriller from the Philippines. I’m not that great at detecting good/bad acting in languages foreign to me, which was bothersome for me in this case. The moral complexity is there, I just wish I could have connected better with the characters. The film goes to places that are pretty shocking. This being a foreign film, it’s probably just a reflection of the country, which makes it that much more sad. This is a 7/10.
Stoker
I’m a huge Park Chan-wook fan and even though this is not my favorite work of his, it’s still much better than most similarly themed movies made in Hollywood. His camerawork and stylish flair are a delight to watch as always and the main character is actually pretty fun and engaging though there isn’t much depth to her or any of the other characters. I ended up with a huge crush on Mia Wasikowska after watching this. It’s an 8/10.
The Machine
I’m going to pull a page out of Jay’s book and say that this could’ve been a masterpiece, but it ended up being a better than average sci-fi with very smart, very fresh ideas. The movie is clearly very low budget, but the visuals are mostly handled in clever ways to conceal the low budget look and it works to great effect. Too bad that it’s this lack of funds that probably held this movie back. The script could’ve benefited from a rewrite or two. It was good, but rough in some parts and it sort of all fell apart at the end. It started as something smart and ended in long, drawn out, boring action sequences that did nothing for me. This is a 7/10.
The Giver
Another William Rowan Jr. recommendation and this time I wholeheartedly agree with him. This was much, much better than what the reviews lead you to believe. I think it’s pretty close to being a masterpiece of modern sci-fi. I love how the visuals of the movie are evocative of the story itself and how they evolve with it. Leaving the theater this was an 8, but after a few days of digesting the movie, this is now a 9/10.
Zodiac
Josh strikes again. This is a most excellent film that I should’ve revisited a long time ago. It’s so good. I love how David Fincher plays with our expectations right from the start. A shot of a car creepily driving through a neighborhood—surely that’s the killer—nope, it’s the victims. Beautiful first scene by the way. The whole movie is incredible looking. I was amazed at how well the CGI still works. And it’s not that you can’t tell it’s CGI, it clearly is, but it blends so well and it adds to the atmosphere of the movie, it really does. This is a 10/10 guys.
School of Rock
This one’s for Jay. Jay, I’m with you on this one buddy. Jack Black is so good here, and all the kids are great. I love the references to music, in particular progressive rock music which I’m a huge fan of. The humor is on point and the cast is perfect. This is a top notch comedy in my opinion. It’s a 9/10.
Oh and you guys are crazy! Hugo is not a kid’s movie. It’s not. And it’s definitely not a 5 Andy. This is a 9.5/10 and it’s a masterpiece in my opinion. No other movie in recent history has made me feel as passionate for movies as this movie did when I watched it. It’s that good.
Juan, I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed the “Invasion of the Bodysnatchers” remake. As I’ve said before that’s up there with “The Thing” and “The Fly” as one of my favourite remakes ever. With regards to the dog scene; that’s actually one of my favourite parts of the movie but I can understand you feeling that it’s out of place, it just suddenly happens and is totally bizarre. I don’t know if you picked up on it or not but it’s actually given context by a scene earlier in the film featuring a sleeping tramp and his dog, there’s a nearby pod which Donald Sutherland’s character kicks and the man-faced-dog we see later is supposed to be the result of the damaged pod mixing up the tramp and his dog. I don’t know if that makes it any less strange and I’ll admit that part of the movie took some time to grow on me but now I find that thing extremely creepy and just one of the films unique quirks.
My noodle intake is mostly limited to spaghetti. I was more of a rice-and-beans guy in college. The End.
Great show as always, gang. Fun to see Josh’s snapshots from Hawaii, especially since his wife even sorta looks like Milla Jovovich in “A Perfect Getaway.” Check it out: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm736987392/tt0971209?ref_=tt_pv_md_2
If I were in Hawaii touring film locations, however, my immediate and unquestioned No. 1 priority would to find the jungle on Kauai where the opening scenes of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” were filmed. That, for me, would be almost like treading on holy ground.
I’m a little disappointed that, after last week’s tease, Karl didn’t actually go with “Starman” for Great Performances and Mighty Lines. Especially after Juan and I worked so hard to set the stage … for Juan to get an epic Huddleston beatdown! 🙂
Elizabeth Banks is an excellent actor and an appealing performer (not entirely the same thing). I particularly enjoyed her in both “Man on a Ledge” and “W.” She seems like a total pro, doing her job like she gives a crap even in piffle like “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” And she did briefly appear a couple of years ago as the unofficial mascot of the Salt Lake Tribune’s FilmFinder web portal (probably until someone e-mailed her attorney or agent to find out whether her image had been properly licensed). To settle Jay and Josh’s debate, however, she is not a movie star or A-list actor. Full stop. Jay is right. If anything, her casting in “Walk of Shame” aligns much more closely with the original definition of vehicle (despite studio players being a thing of the past). To illustrate: I think we could all agree that Angelina Jolie is a movie star/A-list actor. (Opinions of her talent are beside the point. First-weekend grosses and worldwide brand recognition are what make you a star/A-lister.) So let’s say you’ve got the budget to make an Angelina Jolie movie, but Angelina Jolie says no. Who’s your next phone call? Whoever it is, it’s definitely not Elizabeth Banks. She might get a call, but only after six or seven other people had said no. And at that point you’d probably have retooled the script to change the gender of the main character and you’d be calling Elizabeth Banks to be your second- or third-billed lead. Here’s a perfect example: Elizabeth Banks is the second-billed lead of the aforementioned Sam Worthington vehicle (the current definition this time) “Man on a Ledge.” The gender of that film’s main character isn’t germane to the plot. So does Hollywood spend $42 million to make “Woman on a Ledge” and open it at 3,000 theaters with Elizabeth Banks as the above-the-title star? Not a chance. But would that movie get made/mass distributed if Angelina Jolie said yes? In a hearbeat. It’s not because Elizabeth Banks isn’t awesome. She’s just not actually a movie star.
Also, before I get off my soapbox, what is wrong with calling “Hugo” what it is? It’s a film for children. One that can also be enjoyed by adults, sure. And of course there are levels of meaning that some kids may not immediately grasp. But it’s a children’s film. It tells a story about childhood with main characters who are children. That story also involves a marvelous homage to Georges Melies, but he’s not the main character and it’s not his story. There are plenty of smart kids of an appropriate age (perhaps a year or two older than Andy’s kids) who would totally dig “Hugo.” With that awesome train station, and Hugo being in charge of all the clocks, and the mean inspector on the prowl, and an inanimate robot boy, and having a clever, maybe slightly older (certainly taller) friend to share it all with? Are you kidding? Kids LOVE stuff like that. People tend to have a low opinion of the term “children’s film” because there’s a huge volume of children’s films that don’t appeal to adults (and, to be fair, probably aren’t really intended to). There are plenty of perfectly good children’s films, on the other hand, that are equally appealing to adults. For example, try to tell me that “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” isn’t a children’s film. (Side note: I sometimes wonder about that extraneous “the Extra-Terrestrial.” It feels like something that was probably forced on Steven Spielberg by Universal. “Nobody will get what the movie’s about, Steve.” If true, then that would probably be the last time anyone told Steven Spielberg what to do in Hollywood.)
Wow! I didn’t even realize they filmed Raiders in Hawaii or I’d have been all over it. And to think that I wasted all of that time looking for Robin’s Nest from Magnum P.I.
Normally, I’d tell Rachel what you said about Mila Jovovich, because I’d assume she’d think of that as a compliment, but I can’t this time since already told her I thought Kiele Sanchez was the hotter of the two. And I kind of went on about it for awhile.
I take your point about Jolie, but I also think it is safe to say that Elizabeth Banks is a legitimate A-lister, specifically when it comes to this brand of comedy. She’s been around the block for awhile now with small turns in cult classic raunch-coms like Wet Hot American Summer and The 40 Year Old Virgin and had major love interest roles in more recent raunch-coms like Role Models and Zach and Miri Make a Porno. I think among the Judd Apatow and David Wain crews, who are ruling comedy right now, she is one of the major players.
Hey guys, last night I re-watched Shane Meadows low-budget revenge movie “Dead Man’s Shoes” from 2004 and it got me wondering if any of you are familiar with Meadows as a director? I’ve no idea if his films have made much ground in the US but if not I strongly recommend checking him out.
“Dead Man’s Shoes” may not be the best starting point as it is kind of rough around the edges and somewhat flawed but I still think it’s a very compelling and interesting film. The plot involves a soldier returning from service to a rural English town to find that his younger, mentally handicapped brother has been tormented and abused by a gang of drug-culture scumbags. He dons a gasmask and begins a campaign of ever escalating scare tactics and violent revenge.
This movie is definitely not for everyone, it contains some very uncomfortable and disturbing scenes and it’s low budget gives it a gritty, unsettling vibe (though a lot of it is beautifully shot). There are a few moments of dark comedy though and as usual Meadows makes use of pop music in place of a more conventional score. Paddy Considine (who people may recognise from “The World’s End”) is the lead and pulls the role off exceptionally and the rest of the cast do a pretty good job too, especially Toby Kebbell as Anthony the handicapped brother. He brings a genuinely sweet yet sad vulnerability to the role that makes the bullying he suffers truly haunting.
My only major complaint with this film is an aesthetic one. There are flashbacks throughout and these sequences are given this black and white old-film sort of look which felt tacky to me. It’s something I can forgive in a film of this budget though. This is a 7.5/10 for me and a strong recommendation, particularly for Jay as he seems to enjoy revenge/vigilante movies.
An even higher recommendation by the same director would be “This is England” from 2006. This comes off as a much more polished effort and is probably Meadows most high profile film to date though it fortunately retains the grit and realism of his earlier efforts. This is a period piece set in the early 1980’s and the attention to detail and appropriate pop music soundtrack capture the more working class lifestyle of that era vividly. It takes place in an unspecified Northern English town and follows a young outcast (played with rough-and-tumble authenticity by Thomas Turgoose) who is taken in by a gang of skinheads of the benign variety, at least until an old member of the gang comes back from prison with some new ideas about nationalism and race.
What can I say; I love this movie, in fact it’s actually up there in my top 20 favourite films. Forget all those posh Hugh Grant romantic comedies, this is the England that I can relate to. Sure I was born late in the 80’s but the Thatcher administration cast a long shadow of disenfranchisement. This film shows just how easy it is for nationalism and racism to be seeded in the exploited underclass, how racial minorities can become the scapegoat for the uneducated discontent of the common man and how a harmless subculture that embraced multiculturalism can be subverted by bigoted, toxic bullies. These are all issues that are close to my heart; I’ve overheard co-workers make horrendously ignorant and offensive statements, I’ve been threatened by hate-spewing morons at the pub and I’ve protested the rise of the British National Party in my town. All the important elements of this movie are as important today as they ever were, maybe even more important in the current economic climate.
Now that’s all pretty heavy stuff and so it should be, but I don’t want to put people off this film. As well as a social/political commentary it also works wonderfully as a compelling, charming, often funny character piece. This is an extremely watchable film with an unforgettable cast of characters, some lovable, some terrifying but all of them interesting and multifaceted. Politics aside it deals with the unravelling of friendships, the coming-of-age and the youthful desire to belong. I recommend this movie to anyone and give it a 9.5/10.
Sorry for the essay!
– David