40 thoughts on “Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 215: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and The Edge of Seventeen (2016) and Bleed for This (2016) and Shut In (2016) and The Monster (2016)”

1. Sing Street: 10/10!!!!

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   • Jason,
     You just made Karl a very happy man…
     J

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     • And me. 10/10 here as well.

       Uh oh. I see that some of you watched it, but I haven’t gotten that far yet in the episode. Should I be tuning my guitar for the “Don’t Hate the Cinema, J” song??

       ?

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     • Hmm. 6.5. Sigh. Well, you’ve had worse examples of cinema hating. I suppose I’ll allow it. But Karl, I think you should defect and join me and Dino for Weekly Movie Podcast. Or just the two of us can do Old Farts on Films.

       The thing is, of course I can respect if you don’t like a particular style of music as much as another, but that shouldn’t factor into whether it’s a good film or not. I’m not a huge fan of this particular kind of 80’s music (I liked the songs okay, especially “Drive It Like You Stole It,” but I also preferred the songs in Once), but that’s just the setting. Your comments make me worried about Captain Fantastic, because this is the same kind of forest/trees thing that I know had some people hating Captain F. In Sing Street, the songs and the kid’s fashion are the trees. But the film as a whole is a wonderful forest.

       There are some amazing layers of things going on in this movie about coming-of-age, finding your voice and sense of self (again, it’s not about the specific things he was wearing, but that he was adapting and experimenting), and getting some heavy doses of reality in romance and in life (with his parents’ situation). We also get a well-textured “fitting in at a new school” and rebelling as a teenager against the authorities and bullies story. There really is a lot going on here, and it plays out very coherently and with a good amount of nuance. The film Once had a beautiful rawness to it, but Sing Street is deeper and better, overall.

       And the big brother was a huge part of the film’s focus, in a wonderful way. But it had to be seen and felt through the younger kid’s experience. Focusing on a guy who sits around smoking hash and regretting his choices and lamenting what might have been would not be very compelling. But we get to see the parallel life of his younger brother up close (I thought the kid was incredibly charming and believable), and also the hope and life that the younger kid’s opportunities brings to the older brother. The relationship between the kid and his sort-of girlfriend is interesting and different, too, and isn’t cliched or trite. Great, great stuff.

       Anyway, Andy was very very right about the airplane thing. But Karl is very right about Sing Street.

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       • “Weekly Movie Podcast”…I’d definitely tune in. Jay and Andy’s dismissal of Sing Street irked me, and I actually paused the podcast and started streaming it on Netflix during my lunch break. I am not quite finished with this second viewing, but it has confirmed my initial impressions and your thoughts Eric. I can’t add much to your excellent review other than to add that the film is also very funny. I laughed out loud more than once and chuckled often.

         This is a great film. 9/10 for me, and certainly on my Top 10 list for 2016.

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       • Nice, “Weekly Movie Podcast” makes another appearance! It’s been awhile…

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2. J, the direction you’re hoping Westworld goes in is definitely explored more in the coming episodes. Hang in there.

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3. That was awesome! And if you thought Brain was impressive here, check out The Sci-Fi Podcast’s coverage of The Martian! Or talking lightsabers and Death Stars on the Science of Star Wars episode. Must-listens. As is his Ghostbusters coverage on Horror Movie Podcast.

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4. Hey Friends,
   Please check out the TWO INSANE AND FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE LISTS that I posted in the COMMENTS section for this blog post:

   https://moviepodcastweekly.com/participate-in-our-top-10-best-movies-of-2016-episode-and-you-could-win-a-50-amazon-gift-card-a-25-amazon-gift-card-or-ryans-no-1-movie-of-2016/

   My two lists will help you considerably with your Top 10 list preparation…

   Much love,
   Jay

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   • letterboxd.com

     ^Check it out^, Jason. I think you’ll love it. (plus, a bunch of us in the community are actively connected on there)

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5. JASON!!!!!! I just about fell out of my seat with your lukewarm reception of The Monster. I thought that movie was not only excellent and impactful, but tailor-made for JOTD. I can’t wait to hear on HMP what it was that you didn’t love about it.

   Or maybe you just hate the cinema…

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6. I love when Brain pontificates.

   I hope this MPW appearance helps to convince those not already listening to The Sci-Fi Podcast to go check it out. It’s an excellent show, and the dynamic between Brain’s “science” perspective and the other co-hosts’ “fiction” perspective is fantastically entertaining (and informative). Plus, you get the only “full-time” female co-host in the fabulous (and hilarious) Station!, and more William Rowan Jr. (which is always a good thing). Mattroid and Ligairi are ok, too.

   [I guess my “Brain pontificates” comment could have been taken as a backhanded compliment, but I meant only good things by it. He’s awesome.]

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7. “Total mis-understanding of how chromosomes work.”

   — Andy (paraphrased)

   One of the best delivered lines in MPW history.

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8. Jason can play kiddie commercials all he wants…but it will always be A.T. A.T. to me (no phonetics). Saying it phonetically makes you sound like an idiot. Now when I strut around and say the acronym correctly…I sound awesome, like I really know my stuff.

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   • This^

     100%

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9. To all the Mad Max: Fury Road – Black and Chrome Edition naysayers, take a look at the trailer before dismissing it altogether. I’ll agree that the color saturation was one of the things about the original version that struck me as so appealing, but the black and chrome version adds a different level of interest to the material.

   Check it out.

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   • Also, it’s worth noting that the Black and Chrome edition is NOT just a straight up black and white conversion. Check out this video comparison between the original color version, the black and chrome edition, and the original source material at 0% saturation (i.e. black and white).

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   • Yeah, I’ll be watching the chrome version at some point soon. I do love the vivid colors during parts of the original version, but it should also work well this way.

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10. Just saw MOONLIGHT. The way that perspective and music and focus is used in some parts is brilliant and affecting, and the story of an inner city kid dealing with being gay and his journey from boyhood to adulthood is very compelling. However, I only loved the first two acts and not the third.

    The whole film is verrrrrry slow paced, and for me that worked well enough in the first two parts, but really didn’t in the third. Those first two acts had some real moments of poignance, but the third just kind of happened, and very slowly at that. I get that it was probably more real that way, but it just didn’t work for me. I was primed for something bigger to pay off emotionally in the third act, as it had at times earlier, but it just didn’t, though the end was nice. In this case, I appreciated the destination of the third act, but not the journey.

    On the whole, Boyhood (which this is similar to in structure) was more interesting and meaningful, though this had its own very interesting nature and meaning, for the most part. 7.5

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11. Just watched KRISHA, which is on Amazon Prime now. Wow. It’s a stunner. Brilliantly shot and portrayed. Wish I’d have seen this before being with my family on Thanksgiving, as I’d have appreciated them even more.
    ?

    But seriously, it is difficult and draining, but also very insightful about family, addiction and forgiveness (and lack thereof).

    If you haven’t seen it, be ready to chase it with the Rudolph special or something similarly breezy, but by all means, give it a spin.

    9.5

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    • I totally back you, Eric. I review it in Ep. 205 and gave it a 9 out of 10 and said “Buy it to support great cinema.” It’s a film that I would call “social horror.” And by all accounts, it’s evidently based on actual events in the director’s life, and I think this film was probably an “exorcism,” of sorts, of those events.

      https://moviepodcastweekly.com/movie-podcast-weekly-ep-205-morgan-2016-and-krisha-2016-and-in-order-of-disappearance-2016-and-skiptrace-2016-and-a-monster-with-a-thousand-heads-2016/

      J

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      • Ah yes, when I saw it pop up on Amazon I thought I recalled hearing a recommendation from one of the film podcasts I listen to (yes, I cheat on you guys sometimes!). I’ll have to relisten to your comments now that I’ve seen it. Social horror, indeed! I remember you saying that now, but I don’t recall the rest of your comments.

        *****SPOILERS*****
        *****SPOILERS*****
        *****SPOILERS*****

        What really struck me in this film was the nature of how nothing is as simple as it seems. It would be easy to say that Krisha is just a bad person who will inevitably relapse and create chaos as she had apparently done before. But the truth is that she was definitely doing better with her life and making a real effort at reconnecting and making amends. But… then jerkface Doyle has to bring up her previous issues in a negative light, basically poking at her sore spots. And then her son refuses to even look at her when she’s giving what I felt was a very positive attempt at reconnection. And then her new boyfriend doesn’t call her back when she really needs his support. And her mother doesn’t remember her, and so forth.

        And so, to Doyle and to her son, her later relapse and meltdown seemed inevitable and was a fulfilled confirmation of their attitude towards her. But really, they had a hand in it. I don’t think it had to be inevitable. At some point, people need and deserve unconditional love and forgiveness, and Krisha just wasn’t getting it there.

        It’s kind of sad to say, but other than her sister, who was always loving and supportive (well, until the meltdown), it’s a case where for the sake of her continued recovery she was better off just staying away from her family, including her son. Addiction recovery programs tell you to avoid certain “people, places and things,” and some of those people were going to be big triggers for her.

        But wow, what a performance by Krisha. Oscar-worthy, I would hope. And for the writer-director, too. I loved the way he used music and some very interesting camera views to convey feelings, and how he pulled some great insights and reflections out of what seems like very mundane family conversation and interaction.

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      • Good comments on Krisha, J. And I’m glad I relistened to that just to hear this part again:

        “You mean like zombies?” – Andy Howell, Movie Podcast Weekly

        ?

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12. Just returned from a preview screening of LA LA LAND. Such a fun, unique, lovely, and tender movie. It is a potent BMOTY contender. The Force is strong with this one. 10/10

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    • Also: Emma Stone is on fire in this thing. She NAILS it. The double BOOM you just heard is Karl’s and Sandy’s heads pre-exploding from the awesomeness of her performance. (Ryan Gosling is really good, too.)

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13. Just watched Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’; a fascinating treatise on gender, desire, erotica and pornography that’s even more complex than the slick, gorgeous, puzzle-box thriller it’s wrapped inside.

    Highly recommended – especially for those that like twisty thrillers – and easily in my Top 10 of the Year.

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    • Go figure, we agree on this one! It’s a strong BMOTY contender for me.

      Are you generally a fan of Korean cinema and/or Park Chan-wook specifically?

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      • Dino – Judging by your posts that I’ve read, I reckon we agree on quite a few things, cinematically speaking (and apologies for the spiraling of what was originally intended as poking-fun in my previous comment).

        I’m a fan of both Japanese and Korean cinema when I can find it (and The Handmaiden nicely dabbles in both cultures), especially crime dramas (e.g. Takeshi Kitano’s films). This is only the second Park Chan-wook film I’ve had the chance to see (other than Oldboy), but I will make a concerted effort to watch some others now. Any recommendations?

        Also, have you watched Hong-jin Na’s The Wailing yet? That’s another Korean film I’ve heard good things about recently (I’m also a fan of horror-premise-as-metaphor genre), so I was planning on seeing that this weekend.

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        • That’s definitely true. I was going to say the same, that maybe we should just stick to film discussion, but didn’t want to drudge up any unfortunate memories. haha

          I have seen The Wailing and highly recommend it. It has the typical Korean quirky humor, especially early on, but quickly dives into some serious and heady themes. Horror is my favorite genre, and it’s currently my favorite of the genre in 2016… it’s also a serious BMOTY contender for me overall. Curiously enough, it also has a similar element of “fear of Japan occupation” that we see in The Handmaiden. It’s also chock full of specific cultural references that flew right over my head on first watch, and I didn’t fully understand the film until I watched the video below (SPOILERS for The Wailing – DO NOT WATCH UNTIL YOU SEE THE MOVIE).

          Btw, in case you don’t already know, The Wailing is now streaming on Netflix.

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          • “Japanese** occupation”

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          • Thanks for the video link (and other info) – I’ll definitely check it out once I’ve watched (and attempted to digest) the film.

            I was planning to go see The Wailing in a movie theater (it’s still playing in an “art-house” near me). Do you think it’s worth seeing that way – or can I just watch it via Netflix without losing much?

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            • I think it’s always worth seeing something in the theater if you have the opportunity, but that’s really up to you. I watched this at home (iTunes rental) and still loved it, so I’m not sure you’ll necessarily lose anything from the film itself. Probably just down to personal preference.

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              • Dino – I haven’t seen ‘The Wailing’ yet (later this week), but I saw ‘Train to Busan’ tonight. I think it’s an inventive, solid entry in the (fast) zombie genre – brutal and bleak, with unexpected turns – and I’d recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet. I think it would appeal to most horror fans.

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              • I forgot to rate ‘Train to Busan’:
                Horror isn’t normally my favorite genre (I think there tends to be more mediocrity than excellence), but this is well above average; with defined characters, a bit of social commentary, a few inventive touches, some very good action set-pieces (with probably the best use of zombie hordes I’ve seen), and it sticks the landing – so I’d give it an 8.5 in the genre.

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                • I have seen Train to Busan and I absolutely love it. To me, it’s a more successful version of World War Z, taking elements of 28 Days Later like character development and social commentary (as you mentioned), and complex relationships packed into a high-octane package. The ending really got me, too. I come in a little higher than you – it’s a 9.5 for me – but horror is my favorite genre, so that extra point probably makes sense.

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                  • I totally can see this film in the 8.5 – 9.5 range within the horror genre – it truly is an excellent example. I think it’s the best zombie anything I’ve seen since 28 Days Later (including the anemic television show).

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    • Another one I’m really hoping to catch, but not sure where I can. Since it was in some theaters in October, I assumed this would be on iTunes or VOD by now, but I haven’t seen it anywhere yet.

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      • The only thing I know is it will not be released on Blu Ray (since that’s a dying format). The US distribution rights are owned by Amazon, so I wouldn’t expect an iTunes release any time soon, but I can’t even find an Amazon Video release date online.

        I would recommend lobbying to your local art house theater to do a short run. That’s how I watched it.

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        • My “local art house theater” is 4 hours away in Portland or Seattle. Eh, Spokane (2 hours) probably has one, too, but I go to Portland and Seattle a lot more often (I’m in Seattle now, actually, which is how I caught Manchester by the Sea).

          My area (Tri-Cities, WA) is large enough (about 250,000 population) to have a few multiplexes, but it’s rare that we’ll get anything too indie. Or rather, we might get the more arty releases, but for a limited run of a week, and long after the bigger areas have had them. One of the multiplexes usually shows all of the lesser-known Oscar contenders around Oscar time, so some things might creep in then. But that doesn’t help with my top 10 list now! And unfortunately, it’s my least favorite of the local theaters as far as screen quality and such.

          It’s an area with a lot of engineers and people working at the nuclear plant. So, it’s a smart and geeky population that does like to see a lot of movies, but not really an artsy-fartsy population that would better support indie films.

          I’m not complaining, though. I know others like Ryan have an even harder time seeing certain films. And I travel a lot, which helps. I’ve thought of opening an art house theater locally, but I don’t have the business acumen or capital to make that happen, and I don’t suspect the math geek populace would support it well enough. It would be interesting to see if an interest for that could be cultivated, though, or might be hungered for in a “build it and they will come” kind of way. But probably a very expensive failure of an experiment. The area is growing fast, though, so at a certain point the total population might support it.

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14. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is sad, slow, deeply tragic, poignant, sweet, real. Like the third act of Moonlight, I felt it didn’t always give me enough for its pacing. But there are some very powerful moments throughout, including a sequence put to my favorite classical music piece (“Adagio”) that was absolutely heart-wrenching. And there’s a decent amount of slight/light humor, which is needed. Overall, a very good film about rebuilding and reconnecting after tragedy. 8.5

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