Silver Screen Queens: Recent Episodes
Katie Molloy and Melissa Savage
Melissa Savage and Katie Molloy met in film class, and haven’t been able to stop talking movies ever since. Each week they watch a movie and review it, stopping to make plenty of nerdy references along the way.
This movie went from zero to “might win J.Lo an Oscar” in no time at all. As a woman-directed female-led crime story, we couldn’t wait to see it.
We didn’t really want to watch this, but we absolutely had to be part of the conversation. When people start maligning our much-loved comic book movies and thinking they can do it better, we need to get in there and see for ourselves. Joaquin Phoenix plays this (apparently) grittier, more realistic version of the Joker, directed by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips, trying to reinvent himself as an auteur. Did it deserve the top prize at Venice? We discuss.
In 2018, documentary filmmaker Rachel Lear’s followed four non-traditional female candidates for the congressional primaries. One of those candidates was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and so this film has a ringside seat to the rise of one of the most exciting new progressive voices of our age.
Brad Pitt is getting some later-career Oscar buzz for this performance as a lone astronaut journeying across the solar system to find his missing dad. We love a good sci-fi, and that premise had us intrigued.
This new Netflix sci-fi may be only a middling look at motherhood, but less than 24 hours after this episode was recoded, Mel gave birth.
Starring Hillary Swank, newcomer Clara Rugaard and a robot voiced by Rose Byrne, this film tells the story of a robot raising human children in a secure facility designed to repopulate the ruined Earth.
Shot in 30 days in South Australia, with an able assist from New Zealand’s Weta, we thought it was worth our time. Now we also wonder if it had prophetic powers.
The second half of Stephen King’s IT gets the big budget, big star treatment (and nearly three hours of run time).
Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal and Ben Affleck in a Netflix movie? As former special forces soldiers taking on South American drug lords? Count us in! A new instalment of the long-running ‘Katie watches Oscar Isaac’s entire filmography’ series.
Mindy Kaling gave Emma Thompson the great gift of this role as the host of a long-running late night show facing oblivion as her show nears three decades on air. Kaling takes her expert-level rom-com game and applies it here to the story of a diversity hire in a white, male world, taking us on a tour of how race and gender play out in Hollywood with a comedic touch.
Please also enjoy the dulcet tones of baby burbling as Mel recorded this episode with her seven week old daughter strapped to her chest.
Chris Pine in a Netflix movie! Where he gets naked! Sign us up! Our favourite Starfleet Captain/Superhero Love Interest/Indie Darling takes on the juicy role of 12th century rebel Scottish leader Robert the Bruce, ably supported by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Tony Curran, and reteaming with Hell or High Water director David Mackenzie.
The Fast & Furious franchise gives its two biggest stars their own spin-off, and finally teams The Rock with Jason Statham (ably assisted by Idris Elba and Vanessa Kirby). The explosions are as big as the muscles as car nerdery gives way to more generic, physics-denying stunts, exotic locations and showy cameos as Universal wrings every last dollar out of their superhero franchise.
Disney’s nostalgia goldmine continues to deliver with a live-action (CGI-action?) remake of everyone’s childhood favourite The Lion King, directed by friend of the pod Jon Favreau. How long will they keep making these? Are we part of the problem for giving them attention? Did Mel really take her two-week old to a screening? the answers are: until it becomes unprofitable, maybe, and yes.
We missed this highly-regarded film from Korean director Park Chan-Wook (director of one of our oft-overlooked favourites, Stoker) because it missed out on an Australian release back in 2016. Based on an English novel, it tells the story of two women brought together in unusual circumstances in Japanese-ruled Korea in the 1930s. We finally caught it on Netflix in 2018.
Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man takes Europe, and helps Marvel audiences recover from the Endgame! We were a little late in getting this episode out, due to the small matter of the arrival of a new human.
This reboot of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS arrived with little fanfare, but the involvement of Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson meant we were all over it!
Fresh off winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the latest film from Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-Ho hits cinemas. It’s less supernatural than his other work, but no less intense. We get into it.
A few weeks ago, while we watched the trailer for TOY STORY 4 in a busy cinema, a small child asked loudly “why are they making a Toy Story 4?”. This week, we explore that pertinent question.
After their successful team-up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth join forces in an attempt to revitalise the Men In Black franchise.
It’s the X-Men movie you forgot was happening! The younger generation of mutants re-tell the story of Jean Grey’s metamorphosis into Dark Phoenix. Sophie Turner, aka Sansa Stark, is in the title role, but the franchise also features the not-insignificant talents of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer “I would like for my contract to be done now” Lawrence. It sure is another film in the X-men franchise!
Hot on the heels of the mega-hit Bohemian Rhapsody, Elton John gets the movie musical treatment from uncredited Rhapsody (co-)director Dexter Fletcher and hot Welsh double threat Taron Egerton. Unlike that film, Rocketman takes a more fantastical approach, crafting a good old fashioned musical from Elton’s wonderful back catalogue. Unusually for a biopic, it also benefits from the involvement of its subject, who is not afraid to share the less filmic aspects of his life.
Disney continues its “let’s re-make our beloved animated properties as live action” cash grab with Guy Ritchie’s take on the 1992 classic. Will Smith takes on Genie duties, joined by sweet newcomers Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott as Aladdin and Jasmine.
After a surprise hit, John Wick got a sequel. Now it’s become a franchise, and you know what that means: bigger names, bigger fights and a bigger universe. We process our feelings about this.
Is this a cute, funny way for the Pokémon franchise to make its way to the big screen? Or wacky Ryan Reynolds vanity project? Two Pokémon newbies investigate!
Charlize Theron continues to dominate everything she turns her hand to, starring in this romantic comedy with Seth Rogen. Theron plays a high-ranking politician planning to run for President, and Rogen is the idealistic journalist she brings on to punch up her speeches. We laugh. A lot.
It’s here! The most anticipated finale in history. Who lives, who dies, who tells the story? No spoilers for the first five minutes of the podcast (see the chapter markers), followed by 80 minutes of intense discussion, and more than a few disagreements.
Five years after THE LEGO MOVIE delivered a huge smash hit, a Lego-saturated audience delivered a resounding ‘meh’ as its sequel was gradually released around the world. It’s a shame, because THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART is just as funny, and learned a few important lessons from the criticism of the first film. Nevertheless, it gave us a great chance to laugh at the one-liners, and get into a discussion of favourite Chrises.
Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson has directed a movie, and it just dropped on Netflix. Unicorn Store tells the story of a whimsical young artist who finds herself stuck back at her parents place and temping for a terrible boss, when the offer of a pet unicorn gives her a new purpose.
Long-time SSQ fave Zachary Levi got a superhero movie and we couldn’t be more delighted. Shazam! tells the story of a hardscrabble foster kid given a sudden…boost.
Last Christmas, Jordan Peele scared the internet with a trailer featuring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke being terrorised by their creepy doppelgängers. This week, we got to see it!
Based on the real-life story of WWE wrestler Paige, FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY is supported by the producing and cameo-ing power of The Rock, but really it’s a feel-good British family drama with a sports movie twist.
We didn’t know what would happen last week in Christchurch, New Zealand when we watched this film, which is based on the real-life stories of the staff and guests of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, caught up in a terrorist attack on 26 November 2008. We still want to review the film, because we think it’s important that these stories are told, but we understand that some listeners may find both the film and the discussion of it upsetting.
An Indian-Australian co-production, from first-time director Anthony Maras, and featuring the wonderful Dev Patel and Armie Hammer, Hotel Mumbai gives an incredibly tense and taut view of a coordinated terrorist attack unfolding and the people caught up in it.
After many years of wishing and hoping and never quite believing Marvel would do the right thing, Carol Danvers Captain Marvel is here, starring Brie Larson, a delightfully de-aged Samuel L. Jackson, and a cat named Goose.
In 2017, we got way more enjoyment than we expected out of a small-budget horror flick called HAPPY DEATH DAY, and barely 18 months later, we got the sequel. Very much building on the first film, the murderous time loop adventures of Tree (Jessica Rothe) continue with new friends and, maybe, a new killer?
Based on a well-known anime, Alita is a cyborg trying to find her way in a dystopian future. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced and written by James Cameron, it’s a little different from what either of those two normally do.
It’s Oscar week, and our 300th episode, so we review Best Picture favourite ROMA, and do a little bonus preview of the big show, which, this year, has lost a little of its lustre.
The notorious RBG finally gets the biopic treatment. Focusing on a famous gender equality case argued by a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg, ON THE BASIS OF SEX treats us to some of the life story of everyone’s favourite Supreme Court justice.
Saoirse Ronan takes on the role of Mary Stuart, the wilful and vindictive 16th century queen of Scotland, and is aided by Margot Robbie as Mary’s cousin and rival, Elizabeth I. British theatre director Josie Rourke takes on her first feature, and Katie takes on yet another period piece.
Being musical theatre nerds, we’ve been waiting for Mary to return. The magical nanny is given a sequel with the best possible combination of a delightful cast and competent director, and we…had different experiences of it…
Also known as the Lucas Hedges gay conversion film, this had some early Oscar buzz around its (mostly Australian) cast and crew. We are always here for Lucas Hedges, and we are always here for gay teens, so it seemed like it might be a good fit for us.
We haven’t had the greatest experiences with Yorgos Lanthimos’s work (see our episode from last year on The Killing of a Sacred Deer), but THE FAVOURITE opened to near-universal acclaim, has more traditional subject matter, and features some of our favourite actresses really going for it, so we dove in.
The latest addition to the DC film universe tackles one of the perpetual laughingstocks of the comic book world and makes him hot and charismatic in the form of Jason Momoa. Directed by action master James Wan, AQUAMAN also features Nicole Kidman demonstrating her range, the delightful Temuera Morrison, Willem Dafoe playing against type, and…Dolph Lundgren, enjoying a late career Lundgrenaissance.
Miles Morales finally gets his own movie (animated, but still), and it turns out to be one of the most innovative animated films in years, melding comic book and cutting edge computer animation (as long as you aren’t epileptic - this film is NOT accessible). Dropping in the week before Christmas, it’s quite the gift.
Based on the memoir of Lee Israel, a talented writer who turned to literary forgery when she fell on hard times, this gem of a movie celebrates an unapologetically queer, cranky woman trying to make it in an inhospitable world. Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant star as the eccentric leads, lightly moving through an impeccably-rendered 1990s New York.
This is one set of YA novels that had passed us by, but they didn’t pass by Peter Jackson, who handed it over to his long-time storyboarder and special effects guy Christian Rivers to direct. The plucky heroine of this series is Hester Shaw, a scarred young woman hell-bent on avenging her mother’s murder. She’s joined by a blue-eyed angel in the form of Robert Sheehan as Tom, and Anna Fang, played by K-Pop star Jihae, who is worth the price of admission alone.
CREED was the best film of 2015 that hardly anyone saw (although clearly enough people saw it to make Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thomson and Ryan Coogler into stars). The sequel loses Coogler, but we are still here for it.
Steve McQueen made a heist movie starring Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki and Michelle Rodriguez and we were There For It. Packed with stars, both in front of and behind the camera, WIDOWS is also a smart, socially conscious take on an old genre.
Even though we enjoyed the first fantastic Beasts film in 2016, this sequel has been surrounded by trouble since its inception, something that has continued into the reviews, which are universally terrible. Still, we are die hard Harry Potter fans, maybe there will be something for us in there?
Suspiria is now considered a classic of both the horror genre and Italian cinema. At a recent film festival, we were lucky enough to see a remastered print. Current darling of Italian cinema, Luca Guadagnino decided to follow up the phenomenal success of Call Me By Your Name by remaking this colourful and creative piece of art.
Obviously, Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling’s follow up to LA LA LAND is…a Neil Armstrong biopic. We have an argument about it.
For the ninth episode in the long-running franchise, Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, in a film that is definitely a sequel to the 1978 original, but only kinda sorta a sequel to its seven other sequels. Billed as Laurie’s final* showdown with legendary slasher Michael Myers, we find her isolated from her family (daughter Judy Greer and granddaughter Andi Matichak), and needing to tap reserves of strength and preparation built up over four decades living in fear.
- refer to HALLOWEEN’s box office to see if you think there will be another film in the franchise…
“From director Bradley Cooper…” proclaimed the (excellent) trailer, and so it is. We had to wait a couple of weeks to see this in Australia, which only gave the hype train time to build up steam. So, does it live up to expectations?
A few weeks ago we saw a sexy, neon movie poster, and immediately wanted to know more. Serendipity showed us the trailer, and informed us that this throwback thriller was directed by one of our favourite writer/directors, Drew Goddard, and from that moment on, we were hooked. With an intriguing premise and an innovative storytelling technique, we were very keen to talk about BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.
Don’t mention the Spider-guy is the watchword of this Sony take on one of its Marvel properties. Tom Hardy is inspiringly cast as Eddie Brock/Venom, and joined by some talented and unexpected co-stars in this film by the director of Zombieland.
If you spend a lot of time online, you will eventually see a Mr Rogers quote. If you grew up outside of the US, like us, you probably don’t know who that is. Luckily, there’s a new documentary to tell us about his life, and his incredible legacy of kindness and caring.
John Cho finally gets a lead worthy of his immense talents, and filmmakers finally succeed in capturing life on the internet, in this tight thriller about a desperate dad with a missing daughter.
Anna Kendrick’s small-town mommy vlogger Stephanie meets Blake Lively’s glamorous PR exec Emily through their sons. It’s going great, until Emily disappears, dragging Stephanie into a mystery she’s only too happy to explore.
This Netflix movie based on a popular YA novel has been getting some serious buzz, and not just because it serves a multitude of underserved audiences. Cute and fun, it also launched the career of the internet’s newest boyfriend, Noah Centineo, and given the most memorable part of X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, Lana Condor, her first lead.
It’s Jason Statham vs Megashark, with a mega budget and a transparent play for the China market. If you like giant shark movies, then this is for you. If you don’t, then I don’t know what to tell you. Check the show notes for some video of Jason Statham’s diving career, as well as one of John Barrowman’s more infamous line readings.
One of the most anticipated films of the year, and the first since 1993 to feature a predominantly Asian/Asian-American cast helmed by an Asian-American director, this little rom-com has a lot riding on it’s couture-clad shoulders. Luckily, Michelle Yeoh and Awkwafina are on board.
Spike Lee’s latest offering tells the true story of black detective Ron Stallworth who, in addition to being the only black detective on the Colorado Springs force, successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Featuring Lee’s signature style, and an important lesson on the power of cinema, it stars charismatic newcomer John David Washington (son of Denzel) and the always-excellent Adam Driver.
Recorded a few months ago on its cinematic release, a series of big releases, and the likelihood of this becoming a good home watch led us to delay the release of our episode on BLOCKERS, a very 2018 take on the teen prom night sex comedy. Featuring John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz as parents who find out their daughters plan to lose their virginities on prom night, this doesn’t quite go the way you think it will.
The sixth film in a 22-year-old franchise is as good a place as any to throw everything at it. Dizzying stunts (done, for the most part, for real), stake-raising action sequences, vehicle chases in exotic locales and a few good actors to make us care. Say what you like about Tom Cruise (goodness knows we have), but he sets a high bar, and brings along some great talent for the ride. Also, Katie is REALLY into Henry Cavill in this movie.
This New Zealand comedy from Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Been does exactly what it says on the tin: 90 solid minutes of deliciously inappropriate humour about two women who run a business breaking up with people’s partners when they are too cowardly/useless to do so in person. Featuring some of your favourite NZ comedy talent and some behind the scenes help from Taika Waititi, using his power for good, this continues 2018’s run of comedies.
This Netflix rom-com has been generating some buzz, and needing a quiet weekend at home, we gave it a go. Starring promising up-and-comers Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell (listen back to our EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! and HIDDEN FIGURES episodes to hear us singing their praises) and veterans-who-are-also-our-faves Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs, it seems to have hit a nerve with an audience starved of light, bubbly entertainment.
I don’t know if you guys know this, but The Rock has done his own version of DIE HARD co-starring Neve Campbell. As you know, Silver Screen Queens is your number one source for all things Dwayne, so we have this covered for you all, even though one of us gets quite bad vertigo.
After a slightly disappointing but nonetheless charming entrée into the MCU, Ant-Man is back, this time with a fully-fledged Wasp as his sidekick (don’t believe anything Marvel tries to spin, this is Ant-Man 2, not a joint lead). To their credit, the Ant-Man team has made a real effort not to fall into the sexist traps of the first film, and added Randall Park and Michelle Pfeiffer to an already sterling supporting cast.
Five grown men continue a game of tag they’ve been playing for more than 30 years, and somehow it kind of works. 2018 has been the year of middle of the road adult comedy, and maybe that’s just what we need right now.
Along with a lot of people, we didn’t love Jurassic World when it was released in 2015, so we didn’t go into the sequel with a great deal of confidence. In its defence, it has a different director (horror specialist J.A. Bayona) and has ditched some of the more egregious sins of the earlier film (high heels, nasty treatment of women). So, has life, er, found a way?
The Incredibles are back, fourteen years later in the real world, but only minutes later for the family. In this instalment, Mrs. Incredible revives Elastagirl for the PR war to restore the legal status of superheroes, which means a role reversal for Mr. Incredible, who becomes primary parent for their three kids. Listen out for a Turbo cameo at 32:03.
We’ve both been looking forward to this one. One of us because it featured cool ladies doing crime, and one of us because it features the Met Gala and enormous jewels. You’ll never guess which one was which.
Every few years, Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman collaborate on a film, and it’s always worth a look. Tully takes a real, unfiltered and funny look at motherhood, and the way it upends women’s lives. Featuring the excellent Charlize Theron in the lead, this is not the film you are expecting, and if you don’t think it’s for you, it absolutely is.
SOLO arrives in cinemas after experiencing significant production issues, but early word was good, and so it is that the professionalism and experience of Disney, Lucasfilm and Ron Howard shine through in this fun heist flick. there are some not-unexpected issues with the casting, and some storytelling niggles, but after the downbeat ROGUE ONE, and the disorganised THE LAST JEDI, it’s a welcome addition to the new canon.
Everyone’s favourite foul-mouthed Canadian is back! Ryan Reynolds’ 10-years-in-the-making passion project became a huge hit in 2016, and now they’re back with more money, that goes into new characters, better CGI, a killer soundtrack and more cool makeup.
This cult horror flick starring Nicholas Cage and Selma Blair as parents trying to murder their children has been doing the festival circuit, and we were lucky to catch it, appropriately enough, over Mother’s Day weekend. Featuring a kinetic directorial style, MOM AND DAD is both gory af and surprisingly restrained, while asking some big questions about what it means to become a parent.
“I will watch whatever nonsense Dwayne is in.” - Roxane Gay, 4 February 2018
In between Easter and Infinity War, The Rock put out a film in which he plays a primatologist who is best friends with an albino gorilla. We tried to resist, but eventually we found ourselves in the cinema with Dwayne and George.
It’s here! The most ambitious crossover event in history. We have some spoiler free thoughts for you, followed by a discussion of the movie that is in itself almost movie length!
Actor John Krasinski turns his hand to directing with this high concept thriller about a family living in a world where monsters hunt by sound.
When we heard there was a gay teen romance from our favourite TV superhero show runner, it created a ‘run, don’t walk’ response here at SSQ HQ. It certainly led to an interesting experience as we watched the film at an LGBTQI community screening with free booze.
Ava DuVernay takes on the classic children’s sci-fi novel, with an assist from Disney, New Zealand and Oprah. It’s had some bad press, and, frankly, we disagree. Charming, colourful adventures with cute kids and smart adults, and a family-friendly message that doesn’t condescend to its tween/teen audience.
The famous/notorious novel gets the full big-screen treatment in the experienced and talented hands of Steven Spielberg. Being curious nerdy types, we had to give it a go.
Despite the success of Wonder Woman, this biopic of her creator and his polyamorous family received such a limited cinematic release in Australia that we have been unable to see it until now. Touching on our longstanding interests in Wonder Woman, nerd culture, superheroes, feminism, history and queerness, this film also features the wonderful Luke Evans in the title role, and Rebecca Hall as his spectacular wife, Elizabeth. As you can imagine, it gave us plenty to talk about.
A few years back we played (and enjoyed) the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise game. Now the gritty, younger version of Lara Croft has found her way to the big screen, played by Alicia Vikander. Can this film overcome the video game movie curse?
The latest film from Alex Garland, based on the sci-fi novel by Jeff Vandermeer, has received really sh*tty distribution treatment, denied a cinematic release outside the US. Luckily, we were able to watch this strange, beautiful and philosophical female-led film on Netflix, where it will hopefully find a receptive audience among fans of esoteric indie fare.
Some lightness after the Serious Films of Oscar season, as Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman team up for this cute comedy about a super-competitive couple about to have their game night go nuclear. Former Freaks and Geeks actor and HORRIBLE BOSSES writer John Francis Daley co-directs with SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING writer Jonathan Goldstein, with Kyle Chandler and Jesse Plemons in support. Recorded on Sunday afternoon, we also have a short pre-Oscars discussion.
In the last review we will release prior to the Oscars ceremony, we take a look at one of the contenders: Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut LADY BIRD. Set in 2002, and based on Gerwig’s own life, it definitely hits close to home for us, and we have been waiting impatiently for its Australian release.
A biopic like nothing you’ve ever seen before, based on interviews with the (unreliable) protagonists of one of the biggest sporting scandals of all time. Before she was a punchline, Tonya Harding was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make it in the class-conscious world of figure skating.
This movie is being advertised by its big names (Streep, Hanks, Spielberg), but don’t think for a minute that the legends are phoning it in. The best Oscar movie to take your parents to, THE POST is also the story of legendary Washington Post owner Katharine Graham, and her editor Ben Bradlee, as they wrestle over the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
We weren’t originally going to watch this surprise Christmas hit, but then it became a surprise Christmas hit and, you know, The Rock. Like most people who grew up in the 90s, were were raised on the Robin Williams classic, but we braved it anyway.
Frances McDormand is once again up for an Oscar for her turn as a mother using any means necessary to get the local police to work harder to solve her daughter’s murder. Sam Rockwell offers sterling support in an ambitious film that takes a compassionate look at bigotry, ableism and cycles of violence.
PRO: Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron are back doing a musical! Zendaya! Pasek and Paul!
CON: Heavily fictionalised version of the life of a man who did some really bad stuff in his time.
Our love of musicals won out on this occasion, and we decided to review the film as presented, but read up on PT Barnum and his life (including slave-owning and exploitation of disabled children) and watch with that in mind.
Otherwise known as “the Guillermo del Toro fish romance”, The Shape of Water is garnering all sorts of awards season buzz. On New Year’s Eve, we got a little buzzed and went to see it.
This sweet coming of age gay love story has been generating serious buzz for months, and after waiting impatiently we finally got to see it on Boxing Day. Does it live up to the hype? How many times do we plan to watch it again? Are Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet allergic to shirts?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Star Wars season! Following the raging success of THE FORCE AWAKENS in 2015, LOOPER director Rian Johnson takes on the legendary franchise with this packed instalment. General Organa has her work cut out for her keeping Poe Dameron in check, while Rey has gone to make a mentor out of the grizzled loner Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, Finn meets the irrepressible Rose Tico.
14 years ago, Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed, produced and starred in THE ROOM, widely regarded as the worst film ever made. Now, the multi-talented James Franco directs, produces and stars in the movie about the movie, based on the memoir of Wiseau’s best friend and protegé, Greg Sestero.
A few months back we were attracted by a trailer for a quirky little movie about the writing of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring Dan Stevens as the renowned author. We weren’t quite sure what we were getting ourselves in for, but we’re glad we did.
One of the early Oscar contenders, this film has been doing the festival rounds for a while and garnered decent critical buzz. We were slightly concerned about its ostensible themes of abuse, and it’s experimental Brechtian vibe, but were intrigued nonetheless.
After the success of WONDER WOMAN, DC brings together its biggest heroes in one picture. After a troubled genesis, the film has been getting bad reviews from critics, but an okay response from audiences. We were looking forward to Wonder Woman and Ezra Miller’s The Flash, so we went in with an open mind.
For Katie’s birthday we enjoyed a screening of Kenneth Branagh’s take on the classic Agatha Christie novel about a mysterious group of travellers stranded on a luxurious train journey. Please enjoy our cucumber sandwich- and champagne-fuelled review.
George Clooney’s latest directorial effort dropped with barely a lick of publicity, but it has Oscar Isaac in it, so we decided to see what it was about.
We’ve only been waiting all year for Taika Waititi’s quirky entrée into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s finally here! Also, tickets are now on sale for our screening of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI.
Ahead of THOR: RAGNAROK, cinematic pickings are pretty slim. Our choices were THE SNOWMAN, or this B-grade disaster flick by screenwriter and showrunner Dean Devlin, starring Gerard Butler as an engineering genius trying to save the world from the climate change-solving satellites he designed and installed on the International Space Station. How could we resist that description!?
This micro-budget horror comedy re-working of GROUNDHOG DAY appears to be the sleeper hit of Halloween 2017. A college student must live the last day of her life over and over again until she finds her killer.
We’ve have long thought the original BLADE RUNNER was overrated and over-long, but we couldn’t miss the 35-years-later sequel, because it was getting some great reviews and it was helmed by Denis Villeneuve, director of the excellent ARRIVAL. We went in hopeful.
In 1973, women’s number one Billie Jean King played former Wimbledon men’s champion Bobby Riggs in a highly publicised tennis match. At a time of surging overt bigotry, it’s a pertinent reminder of the battles that have been fought before, and need to be fought again.
One of the Silver Screen Queens is a Teen Wolf fan, so naturally we watched this Dylan O’Brien starrer about a boy with a tragic past (you’ll never guess who has to die in service of this tragic back story!) recruited to carry out super-secret CIA missions under the tutelage of Michael Keaton (in scenery-chewing mode).
We haven’t always liked Darren Aronofsky, but his latest collaboration with Jennifer Lawrence has been drip-feeding us intriguing trailers and spooky posters for months, so we wanted to give it a go.
Stephen King’s 1986 novel about a killer clown gets the big screen treatment (following the cult 1990 TV mini-series). One of us was eagerly awaiting this, the other braced herself, gritted her teeth and made it through.
A sleeper hit of the American summer, GIRLS TRIP features an all star cast and a fun HANGOVER meets BAD MOMS vibe. Of course, as the all-star cast was black, in Australia, we had to wait two months to see it in cinemas.
Luc Besson is back with another sci-fi epic based on a series of comics and featuring a world where the International Space Station has morphed into the Interplanetary Melting Pot. It stars hipster darlings Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, and features a sweet cameo from Rihanna, but it has not had good press, or box office.
Steven Soderbergh’s latest film had an insidious marketing campaign that meant we saw the trailer every time we went to the cinema in the last few months. Unlike many films, however, each time we saw the trailer, we liked it more. It hits a number of our special interests: heists, Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and fast cars, so we went in with some excitement.
A sleeper hit of the summer, this film has had great word of mouth, so we had to check it out. Real life couple Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon collaborated on the script, based on a crisis they dealt with early in their relationship. When Emily is struck with a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself dealing with her parents, while also managing his Pakistani family’s traditional expectations and building his own comedy career.
The new Christopher Nolan movie, aka the Harry Styles movie, is out and it actually looks good. Based on the evacuation of British troops from the beach of Dunkirk in 1940, the trailers show a pretty, patriotic flick featuring Tom Hardy as a Spitfire pilot and Mark Rylance as an old dad volunteering his boat for the war effort.
Sofia Coppola’s latest film won Best Director at the recent Cannes Film Festival (making her the first woman director to win the award), and has had some good word of mouth. We haven’t always loved Coppola’s films, but we decided to give it a go when we saw the stellar cast.
One of the more interesting directors working today, Edgar Wright is back with this passion project. It’s had some great reviews, and has been popular with audiences, so we were excited to watch it.
Spider-Man is having his third reboot in 15 years, but this time he is…coming home [geddit]…to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have our reservations, mostly related to the shabby treatment of Andrew Garfield, but we went in with open minds and our faith in Marvel’s ability to entertain us.
A small film about the Armenian Genocide that dropped at Cannes in 2016, THE PROMISE attracted our attention because it stars Oscar Isaac. Shot on a tiny budget, and working around still-sensitive governments, THE PROMISE brings the story of this little-discussed piece of history to audiences through a long sweeping romance about a young man yearning to be a doctor.
Pixar’s Cars franchise has never been a hit with critics, but kids have long enjoyed the antics of Lightning McQueen, and made him one of the biggest-selling toys on the market. When we began seeing trailers a few months back promising the kid equivalent of a “gritty reboot” to the franchise, we were intrigued. Lightning McQueen is now a veteran race car, and he’s finding it hard to keep up with the new kids on the block. When an accident puts him out of action, he must find his way back to the podium.
Universal is attempting to make a ‘Dark Universe’ happen, and they are starting with this remake of The Mummy. Most people our age have fond memories of the 1999 movie of the same name, so how does this high-octane Tom Cruise-led remake stack up?
We’ve waited a long time for this: Wonder Woman has her own live action film. The DC universe did not fill us with confidence in the lead-up to Wonder Woman’s release, but the reviews were good, so we crossed our fingers and showed up on opening night.
A few weeks back we saw LIFE, an ALIEN ahem tribute, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal. While the movie itself was unoriginal and clichéd, we had a LOT of fun talking about it.
John Wick was a sleeper hit in 2014, so the team has scrambled to put together a sequel that’s longer, louder and freer of dog violence. If you liked the first one, this offers more of the same, without trying to get clever about it. The fight choreography and stunt work is well worth the price of admission.
Ridley Scott returns to the Alien universe, with a sequel to the 2012 prequel PROMETHEUS. It features good performances from Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston, but it doesn’t add anything to the legacy of the early films.
Otherwise known as ‘that Anne Hathaway movie where she discovers she is controlling a giant kaiju with her mind’, Colossal lured us in with its fantastic poster, and gave us plenty to think about with its interesting take on what seemed like a silly premise.
Marvel’s fun space franchise is back. We liked the first one, but not enough to be over-excited about its sequel. Pleasingly, it addresses some of what we thought were weakness in the first movie, with a stronger story and less mean humour. While it isn’t perfect (why so little Rocket and Groot?!), it is good fun and, as with most of Marvel’s output, even an average Marvel flick means a fun night at the movies.
Due to Australia’s interesting (cough racist cough) film distribution system, we didn’t get GET OUT for nearly two months after it became the sleeper hit of 2017. We finally watch it, and see whether it lives up to they hype. See it (at a cinema, seriously, trust us on that) before you listen to this episode.
We generally enjoy The Fast and the Furious movies, and after the emotional high of Furious 7 there was no way were missing the eighth instalment. Unfortunately, the pudding has now been over-egged, and the result is this over-long outing that struggles to recover from the loss of the Dom-Brian dynamic, despite the brilliant supporting cast.
Will Arnett’s Lego Batman was one of the highlights of 2014’s THE LEGO MOVIE, and thanks to a thousand internet memes, now he has a solo spinoff film. Unfortunately, what was a great gag in service of a larger movie, loses something when it has to carry an entire movie. The entire project smacks of a desire to cash in on a phenomenon, and it suffers from the lack of proper story development.
Tale as old as time…song as old as rhyme…you know the rest. For our generation, the 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast is a classic. Not just ‘good for an kids movie’, it was wildly successful at the box office, became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture and won Oscars for its score and title song. Now that the kids who watched that film have grown up and have kids of their own to take to the movies, Disney has remade it in a live action version starring Emma Watson, whose singing ability (or lack thereof) has caused some consternation in the lead up to its release. It (among other things) also caused some consternation among your podcast hosts.
The latest instalment of Marvel’s Netflix ‘Defenders’ shows is out, and it’s the most controversial. Since its announcement, Iron Fist has provoked a strong reaction; even more so after it cast a non-Asian lead. Friend of the show Jamie joins us to review it, and we discover that whitewashing is the least of its problems.
The film commemorating the story of Richard and Mildred Loving has finally reached Australia (only three months after its domestic release…). Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay quite the tribute these trailblazers deserve. While the film seems to have an honourable approach to the facts of the case, and the Lovings’ lives, this has the effect of toning down the drama and missing some of the broader importance of the story.
Podcast patron saint Tom Hiddleston has a new movie out, so obviously we were there for it. A B-grade King Kong flick with an A-grade cast and production values, Kong: Skull Island lives up to the awesome Apocalypse Now-inspired trailer that got us excited a few months ago. Newbie director Jordan Vogt-Roberts shows a deft hand, managing well-integrated CG and gorgeous visuals while keeping the big-name cast in check to deliver perfectly-pitched performances. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but at the same time it’s fresh and fun and a damn fine way to spend an afternoon at the cinema.
Hugh Jackman’s last outing as Wolverine promised a gritty, adult movie about the end of the world, and with good support from Patrick Stewart and director James Mangold, it does what it says on the tin. Is it the saviour of the superhero genre it’s been made out to be? No. But it is trying something different, and drawing on broader film influences that suit the perpetually grumpy Logan, while giving us a bittersweet story about caregiving and passing the torch.
We review Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary, and find that it’s worth seeing, if a little fast and furious. It presents some very serious information in an accessible and palatable way, is beautifully shot and made, and will help you show receipts the next time you’re faced with white folks claiming racism is over. It does, however, have a little of the feeling of a history class, and as it gets closer to its run time it does tend to skip over some of the more interesting things it brings up.
Because we recorded on Oscar day, and because the 2017 Oscars provided a moment that will be talked about for years to come, we also recorded a quick post-mortem. Spoiler alert: we predicted a lot of categories correctly.
We’re huge Oscar fans, so ahead of the 2017 Academy Awards we talk through the nominees, speculating about likely winners and nerding out over the technical categories.
We went to see this feeling a little conflicted, not wanting to support Casey Affleck or his alleged treatment of some of his female co-workers, but we didn’t feel like our Oscar preparation would be complete without it. It’s pretty good, if a little well-worn, and the story could do with some better structuring, but the cast are great, it looks amazing and it will hit you in the feels.
This already-beloved film tells the story of three black women mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn, all of whom contributed to the US space program in significant ways. It is a sweet, fun historical picture with broad popular appeal. While we didn’t love it as much as we hoped we would, it is well worth your time, especially if you’re looking for something the whole family can enjoy.
After a promising debut with Belle, Amma Assante is back with another little-told piece of black history. The real-life story of Seretse Khama, a prince and ruler of Botswana, and his white English wife Ruth Williams, it features the excellent David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike and makes the most of its glorious African location. Unfortunately, like Belle, it suffers a bit from under-done pacing and storytelling.
Natalie Portman’s second Oscar campaign is afoot, for this portrayal of former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the minutes and days following her husband’s assassination. The acting is top notch, and some moments in the film are extremely effective in capturing shocking, traumatic grief, but it does start to drag towards the end, as the amount of material struggles to fill it’s short run time.
This gentle, beautiful film has been generating a lot of buzz, and it’s absolutely justified. It’s the story of a boy, Chiron, dealing with some pretty tough circumstances and overwhelming feelings as a child, a teenager and as a young adult. Born to an abusive, addicted mother, and in love with his (male) best friend, this immersive story puts you right in Chiron’s shoes, delivering a transportive experience.
The early awards season favourite LA LA LAND arrived in Australia on Boxing Day, and being big musical fans, we were there for it. While it isn’t the masterpiece some people seem to think, it does have its moments. It is helmed by the technically dazzling Damien Chazelle (WHIPLASH) and features the talented John Legend in a small role. It’s let down, however, by the lack of singing and dancing skills of its otherwise charming and charismatic leads.
Disney’s latest animated adventure finally arrived in Australia on Boxing Day 2016, and we were first in line to see it. It turns out, however, that we kind of disagree on this one, apart from the magnificence of The Rock, who puts in a star turn as the demi-god, Maui. It’s fun, cute and you should definitely take your kids to see it over the holidays, but it’s probably not the same modern classic that Frozen has become.
We caught an early screening of Nicole Kidman’s latest Oscar bait. This movie has some good elements (the acting is excellent, and it’s not only Kidman who should be in contention), but is let down by un-engaging storytelling. It’s notable for its focus on the story of the adoptee rather than his parents, and doesn’t shy away from the more problematic aspects, but would have benefitted from a more dynamic structure.
The long-awaited Star Wars spin-off film has arrived, so we decided to watch it with an audience. This gritty film really focuses in on the ‘war’ part of Star Wars, following a band of rebels as they steal the plans to the original Death Star in the days before the beginning of STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE. Recorded live at Palace Cinemas in Canberra; special thanks to Daniel ‘Jelly’ Farrelly for the sound production.
Disney Princess Lupita N’yongo uses her power for good, teaming up with the legendary Mira Nair to tell the story of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi’s rise from the slum of Katwe to chess master. It’s an inspirational kids sports movie with a twist, featuring the extraordinary talents of Ms N’yongo and David Oyelowo, and it’s well worth your time.
Another of our occasional ventures into television as we cover the Gilmore Girls reunion show. There’s something nice and comfortable about hanging out in Stars Hollow, with all your quirky faves. It may be problematic, but at least it’s a problematic fave.
Don’t forget our live ROGUE ONE episode! Canberra, 16 December, 2016
This Amy Adams/Jeremy Renner sci-fi has been getting great word of mouth, so we check it out. If you haven’t seen it yet, we recommend you do so before listening to this episode, because it really is best enjoyed unspoiled.
We weren’t really that excited to hear about another Harry Potter franchise. As long-term fans, we have been burnt before by the films, and this movie didn’t exactly generate a buzz. Luckily, this set us up to be pleasantly surprised by a charming Eddie Redmayne, a creepy Colin Farrell, and a ragtag band of mostly-unknowns giving it their all.
With the new Westworld TV show blowing up, we decided to go back to the original film, written and directed by Michael Crichton in 1973. We were pleasantly surprised by a smart sci-fi that was way ahead of its time. It was the first film to use CGI technology, four years before STAR WARS, and it has a sensitive and thoughtful take on the rise of robots and artificial intelligence. Sure, it’s slow by today’s standards, but we’re glad we made the effort. You can rent it on YouTube for a few bucks.
We didn’t know much about this film, other than Chris Pine Western, so obviously we had to see it. While it’s got some good points (gorgeous cinematography, interesting score, adventurous direction and good acting), the film as a whole felt a bit too languid for a movie about two bank robbers being pursued by a Texas Ranger.
We didn’t exactly go into Marvel’s latest effort with high expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised. Once you get past the whitewashing, the male-centric story and the bad accent, it’s well-made escapist fun with good actors and sterling special effects. Marvel sucks us in once again.
Another blockbuster novel turned film, The Girl on the Train has quite a bit in common with 2014’s Gone Girl, although executed with less finesse. It has some strong points, namely the prioritising of womens’ viewpoints, a serious discussion of domestic abuse, and a great lead performance from Emily Blunt, but the structure is messy and there are plot holes big enough to drive a train through.
SSQ favourites Dylan O’Brien and Gina Rodriguez star in this dramatisation of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster that led to the worst oil spill in US history, creating devastation in the Gulf of Mexico. We went in not expecting much, coming from the director of BATTLESHIP, but we were mistaken. The movie approaches its subject matter with compassion and humanity and largely avoids some of the more dire disaster movie clichés.
Another TV interlude as the first season of Netflix’s LUKE CAGE drops. We’re joined by our friend Jamie Butlin to talk being bulletproof, series storytelling and snake-based villains. Luke Cage’s Harlem is beautifully realised, the music is off the charts, and the acting is top notch, especially Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard. But while the show is extremely progressive in some aspects, it’s treatment of women isn’t great, and the pacing would have benefitted from allowing the story to breathe a little. WARNING: SPOILERS.
Bereft of new ideas, Hollywood is re-making classic films, but with Antoine Fuqua helming, Denzel Washington in the lead and a Chris, we thought this one was worth a look. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stand up well against Seven Samurai or the 1960 Hollywood version, but it has some fun moments and a genuine commitment to re-examining some of the prejudices inherent in the myth of the wild west.
Disney has remade its wacky 1970s adventure about a boy and his dragon with a high-profile cast and a spectacular setting. While 2010s sensibilities may be more aesthetically pleasing, the lack of wackiness made this remake quite dull. We review it, and pitch a rewrite to make it better.
Following a weird snafu with its distribution, this animated adaptation of the classic French children’s’ book finally found an English-speaking home on Netflix. While Mel loved it and found it both beautiful and true to the source material, Katie was not charmed and found it disturbingly infantilising.
Another in our occasional ‘there’s nothing on at the movies, what can we find on Netflix by women directors’ series, The Intern is a step out of our comfort zone, and a movie we had really hoped might be good. It has a few things going for it: Anne Hathaway, a lush aesthetic and its heart in the right place, but that’s not really enough to overcome it’s throwback liberalism and cliché-ridden runtime.
When one of our favourites does an experimental indie we must watch it, and so you have Tom Hiddleston to thank for this episode. While out of our comfort zone, High-Rise has quite a bit to offer in terms of its aesthetic and it’s metaphorical examination of the logical endpoint of neoliberal capitalism.
Laika, the studio behind CORALINE and PARANORMAN, is back with this elegiac Japanese-inspired saga. Kubo lives a sheltered life with his troubled mother, and just wants to escape. After he attempts to do so, he realises the depth of trouble his mother is hiding, and goes on a quest to re-assemble his father’s armour.
We’re not mums yet, but we had quite a bit of fun watching some get (kind of) bad. Kristen Bell is a comic delight, and Jada Pinkett-Smith is criminally under-used, but the six (female!!) leads give funny, fearless performances. They are not well-served by the writing that never quite goes hard enough at the comedy or the feelings, but we can’t help but be happy that this movie is out there, showing the can’t-win-no-matter-how-hard-you-try reality of the lives of mothers today.
As the end of blockbuster season looms, we catch up on this arthouse favourite from a couple of years back. It’s a good looking film, deftly edited and expertly acted by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (who won an Oscar for this role). While there’s plenty to love in this film, we have some issues connecting with it.
The most anticipated DC movie in a while, Suicide Squad is the crack team of super-villains brought together by HBIC Amanda Waller. After a great marketing campaign, the movie has received a critical battering. For good reason, it turns out. Loud, lazy and loutish, it left us feeling dirty.
This has been out for a while, but in the midst of summer blockbuster season, we had missed it until now. The Rock continues his string of feel-good flicks, this time showing his comedy chops alongside Kevin Hart. Despite the wink wink nudge nudge tone of the marketing, the film is kind-hearted and open-minded, celebrating the victories of ordinary folk over their bullies. The Rock remains our fave, while Kevin Hart gets a couple of new fans.
The JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot turned us both into Trekkies. So does the third film in the series, this time with Fast and Furious saviour Justin Lin at the helm, live up to the lens-flared glory?
The Ghostbusters reboot we have been waiting for is here! SSQ fave Melissa McCarthy joins Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and breakout star Kate McKinnon in Paul Feig’s take on the classic franchise and it (oh thank goodness!) does not disappoint. Ghostbusters ever-so-gently resets the formula for summer blockbusters with humour, panache and fabulous outfits. In a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, charm, laughs and a cast having the time of their lives (we see you trying not to crack up, Chris Hemsworth) ensure a fabulous cinematic experience, even as some storytelling snafus distract from the finale’s emotional weight.
Richard Linklater’s latest has been billed as ‘the spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused’. Starring former Glee-ster and Mr Supergirl, Blake Jenner, as a baseball-playing freshman, it’s a charming slice-of-life set over the weekend before the start of college. While this is not new territory for Linklater, and not without its downsides, it’s clear that he’s in the sweet spot of his wheelhouse, and these boys are a fun enough way to spend a couple of hours.
The popular and enduring strategy game finally gets a film. It’s at the hands of the always-interesting Duncan Jones (Moon), so we were intrigued. Reviews of this film have been universally terrible, except among hardcore gamers, but despite not being Warcraft players, we found soaring ambition and technical excellence beneath the clear problems with script and story. Non-fans will find it difficult to follow, but if you are into Warcraft, it’s probably worth your time.
13 years after the release of the classic Finding Nemo, Pixar has made a sequel focusing on the film’s most interesting character, the forgetful blue tang fish Dory. As expected, it’s beautiful, funny and has a great message. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original film, but it’s certainly charming and sweet.
The surprise hit of 2013 is back, and the four horseman are recruited into the wacky schemes of an eccentric billionaire. A few new faces have come along for the ride, namely Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Caplan, and it’s pretty fun, if a little overlong and flimsy of plot.
Jodie Foster is back behind the camera and Julia Roberts is back in front of it, playing, er, the woman behind the camera for George Clooney’s wacky cable money show host. Production is held up when a young man burned by the show’s financial advice takes the host hostage. The film has some serious points to make about the collapse of institutions and the role of the 1%, but suffers from some confused storytelling and feels like the world’s longest 90 minute movie.
We’ve been big fans of Shane Black for a while, so we went to see his latest film, a wannabe 70s noir about a pair of (private) dicks played by Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. While the plot is not dissimilar to the wonderful Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and there are a few funny one-liners, it lacks the charm and wit of the earlier film, and falls into the trap of doing the very thing it’s apparently trying to satirise.
Rising star New Zealand director Taika Waititi has been tapped to direct the next Thor movie, but he has a great body of work behind him, including this new gem. This story of a young boy from the city and his reluctant foster uncle, and the manhunt that ensues when they get stuck in the bush is full of all the things we love: diverse characters, solid storytelling and a great absurd sense of humour. While we have some quibbles with the realism of the premise, it’s impossible to ignore the real emotion at its heart.
The latest of the new old X-Men movies has been released and like its predecessors, it’s pretty good fun. Welcome to 1983, where no-one has aged much since 1962, but the ur-mutant has awakened from a 5,00-year sleep. Charles and Eric still love one another despite Eric’s temper and this universe still contains the best Quicksilver. A new crop of young mutants starts to make a name for themselves.
Idris Elba and Richard Madden headline this tight little action movie, playing a grizzled CIA agent and an ace pickpocket caught up in a terrorist manhunt in Paris. A little bit “Die Hard in Paris” and a little bit British gangster flick, Bastille Day is well-made, gritty and has a solid story. It’s just a shame it was so hard for us to find a screening. Watch it yourself before you listen to us.
In the third movie of the Divergent series, Tris and her friends escape beyond the wall, only to find themselves trapped once more. We really want to like girl-led YA franchises, so we’re sticking with this one despite its many flaws. Its young cast is trying its best, even if the writing and production values feel derivative and sometimes downright problematic.
Marvel’s latest offering has arrived, after a publicity tour of…a year or more. The Avengers (including a few new faces) hijack Captain America’s third movie, and after the triumph of The Winter Soldier, it’s a high bar to clear. Civil War is action-packed, musclebound adventure and it’s not a bad way to spend two hours, because even an average Marvel movie is ten times more fun than its nearest competitors.
Based on the true story of British skier Michael ‘Eddie’ Edwards who became a sensation as the only British ski jumper at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Starring the charm offensive of Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, this is a classic underdog sports movie in the very best sense. Two of the happiest hours you could spend at the movies. This episode contains zero chill and several excellent puns.
The first of two live action (CGI-assisted) adaptations of The Jungle Book due out this year, this version is from Disney and features Neel Sethi in the lead, with vocal assistance from Idris Elba, Bill Murray and Ben Kingsley. A thoughtful adaptation featuring excellent visuals and great acting, it’s another great family film from the house of mouse.
A thoughtful film that gives us the last live action performance of the great Alan Rickman, EYE IN THE SKY takes a well-researched deep-dive into the ethics of drone warfare. Helen Mirren is the bellicose British colonel in charge, Aaron Paul pilots a drone from the Nevada desert and Rickman’s General tries to convince his political overlords of the merits of a military solution. Meanwhile, newcomer Aisha Takow humanises the people in the collateral damage radius.
We go back and look at the first film of hot young director Ryan Coogler, and his first team-up with Michael B. Jordan. Fruitvale Station tells the story of the last day of Oscar Grant, who was shot and killed by police in Oakland in the first hours of 2009. The film is affecting, charming, humanising and real, and should be compulsory viewing for law enforcement and in classrooms everywhere.
The feel-bad flop of the summer has arrived. Zack Snyder’s follow-up to the also not-well-liked MAN OF STEEL tries to atone for that film’s mistakes, not altogether successfully. Some good actors struggle with mediocre material and uncharacteristic characterisation as DC makes yet another misstep in its attempts to counter-program the Marvel juggernaut.
A long listen for your long weekend. We had so much fun talking Jessica Jones, that we decided to do another TV episode, this time reviewing the second season of Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix. We invited our friend Mathew Groom from the Ranger Danger podcast to join us to discuss the good and bad of the new season and why Katie is just so mad at Matt Murdock.
Disney animation studios has a new film out, and it’s surprisingly progressive, telling the story of the city’s first ever bunny cop, and the lessons she learns along the way.
Over our summer holidays we caught up on this sweet indie starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a pop star trying to make her way in the difficult music world. It’s an excellent vehicle for Mbatha-Raw, if a little lacking in finesse, and it gave us something different to talk about.
Less than 24 hours before it was named the year’s Best Picture by the Academy, we watched and effusively praised SPOTLIGHT, a subtle, clever, well-told look at the journalists who uncovered the story of systematic child abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church in Boston.
The Coen brothers take on Hollywood with an absurdist 1950s-era tale of a guy who ‘fixes’ the messes made by his high-strung talent. When his top star is kidnapped (George Clooney, charming but not fully realised), madcap antics ensue. If you’re a Coen brothers fan, you’ll probably love it, and we sure got some good laughs out of it, but it’s a fairly flimsy effort that could have used its talent and ideas more effectively.
After an decade-long struggle to get this character to the screen, Ryan Reynolds and crew deliver a Deadpool movie that appeals to fans and newcomers alike. Reynolds messes up his pretty, pretty face and gives us a sweary, bloody, convention-defying twist on the superhero genre.
15 years after their first walk-off, Derek and Hansel are older, but not much wiser, as they are pulled back into the world of modelling.
It’s widely tipped to take out Best Picture, and win Leonardo DiCaprio his (first) Oscar, but it’s also long, bloody, and bleak. We watch it so you don’t have to.
Brie Larson was 2015’s breakthrough star, following on from a series of scene-stealing performances, and she’s up for an Oscar for her work on ROOM, a creepy family drama about a mother and son trying to escape their captor, and the single room that was both their jail and home. Jacob Tremblay is wonderful as Larson’s son, in this subtle but affecting film based on the bestselling novel.
Rooney Mara’s adorable ingenue falls in love with Cate Blanchett’s force of nature in this intense, beautiful melodrama. Todd Haynes revisits the 1950s again, creating an almost too-faithful period piece featuring wonderful performances from the ensemble cast.
With their long-running TV series’ over, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler got together with their friends to make a movie. This gag-laden movie tells the story of a pair of sisters throwing one last party at their family home before it is sold, and it’s solid, fun and extremely women-friendly, albeit with a few story issues.
Over the holidays, amidst the Star Wars hype, Pixar released their second film of the year. This simple tale of a dinosaur leaving his family home to find his courage and make new friends is unoriginal and bland by Pixar’s standards, although it’s not without its merits.
The story of a working-class Londoner Maud, who becomes a radicalised activist for women’s suffrage. We (well, Mel) had high hopes for this film, but in addition to its well-documented issues around race, it also suffers from some story issues.
On a Friday night a week before Christmas, we watched STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS and recorded an episode with a live audience. Warning: contains spoilers.
In this extra special episode, we join our friend Craig Moore from the Repacked Podcast to talk Jessica Jones. We meander through a long, rambly, occasionally shouty discussion on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, superheroes and the Marvel’s Netflix ‘Defenders’ shows.
Only a few days ahead of the release of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, we rewatch the prequels (I KNOW!) and the beloved original trilogy. There’s nothing like embracing the hype around a new Star Wars movie; join us!
This year, we’re celebrating Christmas a little early (there’s a small, indie sci-fi coming out on 17 December, don’t know if you’ve heard?) with a look at a family Christmas classic that has just celebrated its 25th birthday. Home Alone manages to capture lightning in a bottle, featuring an astonishing script from John Hughes, one of the best directors of children in the business, Chris Columbus, and a perfect score from the master John Williams, not to mention wonderful performances from some brilliant comedic performers and a 10 year-old Macaulay Culkin at his impish best.
The seventh movie in the ROCKY franchise, CREED follows Adonis Johnson, the youngest son of Apollo Creed, as he recovers from a difficult childhood and moves to Philadelphia to train with Rocky Balboa. Despite almost no hype ahead of its release, we found a subtle, well-made action film inhabited by authentic characters.
The thrilling (and satisfying) conclusion to The Hunger Games films has arrived. We talk whiny Gale, lovely Peeta and Katniss’s poker face.
Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes re-team after the spectacular SKYFALL with mixed results. James is adequately brutal, Q is adorable, and there are as many enemies within Her Majesty’s government as without. In following on from more modern and successful franchises with more palatable heroes, the Bond series, like its protagonist, struggles to reconcile its history with the modern world.
Canberra listeners: we are hosting a screening of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS on 18 December at Palace Electric Cinemas followed by a live podcast episode. We’d love to see you there!
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg team up again to tell the Cold War-era story of an American lawyer recruited to defend an alleged Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate a prisoner exchange for an American captured by the Russians. Mark Rylance is a standout in his supporting role, and it looks amazing, but the talent involved isn’t quite enough to make a compelling film.
We asked for requests via iTunes reviews and you delivered! This week we watch another three: EX MACHINA, ELECTRICK CHILDREN and CLUELESS.
Happy Halloween Queens! Guillermo del Toro and Tom Hiddleston (among others) teamed up to make a scary movie about a creepy castle, and we had no choice but to watch it. Filled with del Toro’s trademark creatures, bloody violence and luscious production design, it also features a couple of his less-strong trademarks, but is an enjoyable enough experience all the same.
Today is 21 October 2015, the date to which Marty McFly, Doc Brown and Jennifer Parker travelled in Back to the Future Part II. In honour of this, the ladies review the entire trilogy. Katie would like a flying car, and for the youth to wear their jeans inside out, while Melissa is definitely supporting the Cubs in the World Series and would like to unlock her front door with a fingerprint.
We put the call out for you to review us on iTunes and promised we’d review anything (yep, anything) you suggested. This week we review the first three: Samurai Cop, Pride, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Matt Damon is left behind on a NASA mission to Mars and has to science his way through his unlikely survival. The girls play one of their frequent games of ‘what’s that movie?’, Katie gets to fangirl Michael Peña, and Melissa has been preparing for this podcast since 1998.
Another decade brings another adaptation of the Scottish Play, this time with Australian Justin Kurzel at the helm and Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard playing the titular pair. Unfortunately, while this adaptation has a lot of style, it’s lacking in substance. However, an opportunity to geek out over Shakespeare and history is always welcome in SSQ-land.
Spoiler alert for the very beginning of this episode. This is the second in a series of movies about a group of boys (and one girl) who escaped from a glade to find that they were being imprisoned by a shadowy group due to their immunity to a dangerous virus that is threatening humanity. As they journey away from further captivity, they encounter a bleak landscape known as the Scorch.
A couple of weeks ago a Sydney public school decided to run an event to support LGBTI kids featuring a small documentary about four Australian kids with gay parents. A disgruntled scripture teacher, a conservative newspaper columnist and a scared state government combined to ban the film from screening in schools during class time. With the kind of publicity only censorship can bring, the filmmakers have been able to secure a much wider release. Last week we saw the film and interviewed the director Maya Newell and the producer Charlotte Mars.
SSQ favourite Jake Gyllenhaal plays a professional boxer who hits rock bottom and must work to earn back his career, his family, and his self-respect.
We spotted this classic film on Netflix, and realised we’d gone our whole lives without watching it. Three women take revenge on their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a boss. If you’ve ever had a job, or dealt with microaggressions, you’ll relate.
A few weeks ago we saw a trailer that seemed to promise a romance between Henry Cavill in a waistcoat and Armie Hammer with excellent hair, and we knew immediately that it was a must watch. Guy Ritchie does his over-stylised, super-edited 60s homage thing, and the gentlemen, along with Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki give great performances despite some thin material.
The long-lived Mission: Impossible franchise is back for a fifth outing, and its time for us plebs to enjoy our Tom Cruise Movie™ 2015 Edition. In spite of his reputation, Cruise has assembled a crack team to help deliver an enjoyable outing. Simon Pegg is stellar in support, Rebecca Ferguson gives it all she’s got, and veteran screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie is behind the camera making sure the explosions go off when they’re supposed to, and the missions are sufficiently impossible. All of this is a great excuse for some armchair analysis of the Crusie career trajectory and Mission: Impossible movies past and present.
In order to keep the rights away from Marvel, Fox decided to make a film about the Fantastic Four, even though the most recent one was released only eight years ago. After a troubled production, and an even more troubled post-production, we go in with low expectations.
Amy Schumer’s big debut is a funny romantic comedy that subverts some common rom com tropes and gives a sharp social commentary. Bill Hader, LeBron James (really!) and Brie Larson provide strong support while John Cena marks himself out as another great wrestler-turned-actor.
The movie adaptation of one of John Green’s less famous young adult novels, Paper Towns starts out like a million other coming-of-age stories about an 18 year old boy in love with a manic pixie dream girl, but mid-way through takes a turn for the interesting. We meander through our favourite teen movies while mulling over the movie’s big themes.
Because there aren’t enough charming white guys with their own superhero franchise, Marvel has once again mined their archives for Scott Lang, played by long-time SSQ favourite Paul Rudd. Ex-con Lang is recruited by reclusive millionaire scientist Dr. Hank Pam to steal technology from Pym’s former company.
Look, it’s two hours of attractive shirtless men who treat women really well. Plot and character development do not feature heavily, but with that premise, who cares? A wonderful way to spend a couple of hours, especially when enhanced by good company and good booze.
Post-politics Arnie makes his comeback in his best known role. JK Simmons and a bunch of others help him out.
We finally get to see the Iranian Spaghetti Western Vampire flick everyone is talking about. Ana Lily Amirpour’s gorgeous debut feature is attention-grabbing, intelligent and subversive, and a welcome departure from the more formulaic fare we are used to.
Pixar has a new film about the emotions inside a girl’s head as she moves through a tumultuous time in her life. It’s…fine. Charming as always but perhaps a little ambitious. We fire up our control panels to generate some thoughts, trying not to be distracted by Brazilian helicopter pilots along the way.
Because there are no new ideas in Hollywood, someone decided that Jurassic Park needed another sequel. Melissa thought it was pacy and fun, Katie hated it, both had a few issues with its terrible writing. We talk Dr. Ian Malcolm, the Triplett test and Spielberg signatures.
This beautifully animated movie about the Day of the Dead came out a few months ago, but we’ve only just found time to schedule it. A fairly pedestrian love triangle is livened up by some interfering deities and Channing Tatum as a character he was born to play.
You guys know how we feel about The Rock. He’s back playing a rescue chopper pilot in LA as a series of unprecedented earthquakes rock the San Andreas fault and threaten his family. Daddy’s got to go to work. Again.
Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy join up with some hilarious folk including SSQ favourite Miranda Hart, everyone’s favourite Allison Janney, and comic revelation Jason Statham to make a spy movie. It’s a sharp, funny take on a genre ripe for parody and much the better for this cliché-smashing effort.
Unless you’ve been stranded in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, you’ve probably heard that MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is a badass feminist action movie. It is that, and so much more. Strap yourselves in, and watch out for flame-throwing guitars.
The Barden Bellas are back, and it’s aca-awkward as they fall from greatness after a mishap on live TV. Beca is about to graduate, so acapella isn’t her first priority, while Chloe just can’t let go. Still, there’s the world championships to win, against the finely tuned Teutonic magnificence of Das Sound Machine.
And now for something completely different, we talk GIRLHOOD (BANDE DE FILLES), which recently screened as part of the French Film Festival. It’s a gritty, slice-of-life drama centred on a 16 year-old girl called Marieme, who lives in the tough outer suburbs of Paris.
Our big damn heroes return with more ‘splosions, longer tracking shots and shiny new characters in a movie that is peak Joss. It’s frenetic and constantly moving, but is it any good?
Joss Whedon’s 2012 superhero team-up became an instant nerd classic upon its release, but we didn’t have a podcast back then. In celebration of our 100th episode, and the imminent release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, we revisit one of our favourites to talk science bros, doritos and cognitive recalibration.
Margaret Keane was a talented artist with the misfortune to marry a con-man who took credit for her paintings. In Big Eyes, her story gets a loving and satisfying telling from Tim Burton in more subdued form.
The fast-driving, ‘splosion-loving gang are back for a seventh outing. It’s all fun and games and scientific improbabilities right up until it hits you in the feels. Universal’s superhero franchise is doing just fine.
It’s the second instalment of the Divergent series, and things don’t get better. It’s a cynical cash-grab movie adaptation of a cynical cash-grab book series, and not even a mostly great cast can overcome the dodgy source material.
Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughn, the team behind Kick-Ass, re-team for this hyper-violent, mean-spirited homage to spy movies featuring image conscious secret agents shaken up by the introduction of a working class boy called Eggs.
Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne act their hearts out in this biopic based on Jane Hawking’s not-so-flattering portrait of her former husband Stephen Hawking. While the movie is thinly-veiled Oscar bait (congratulations Eddie; we love you!), we think it’s lacking something.
When a devastating event kills his brother Tadashi and lands his robot technology in the hands of a villain, Hiro Hamada upgrades his brother’s health companion robot Baymax and works with his talented friends to transform into a team of superheroes and save the city.
The Wachowskis have made one of the most original movies in ages, a melodramatic space opera, about a (female!) chosen one who discovers she’s a queen. Also, something about bees.
Late last year we saw a movie we’d been anticipating for some time: a remake of the musical Annie starring Quevenzhané Wallis. While Wallis is on point, the end result was something of a film by committee.
Alan Turing was one of Britain’s greatest mathematicians, a war hero and the father of modern computing, but was driven to suicide by the government he served. The Imitation Game employs some fine actors to honour his story.
Comeback character actor Michael Keaton stars in a movie about actors. Academy loses its shit.
It’s a children’s movie, so Mel and Katie ask the important questions: is this meant to be the 70s? do bears s%#t in the woods? is marmalade still a thing? Paddington is charming and aggressively whimsical, and that’s probably a good thing.
Disney and Rob Marshall adapt the dark Sondheim musical, with Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick and Meryl Streep and a talented cast. The Brothers Grimm fairy tales Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel intertwine with the story of a childless baker and his wife and the witch who cursed them.
Katie and Mel do what they were born to: talk for nearly 50 minutes about the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. No distractions, no going off-topic, very little pausing for breath. Some pausing for wine.
A bumper final episode of the year, in which we look back over the movies we’ve reviewed (and seen) in 2014.
So this is Christmas, and what have we done? Watched an R-rated Santa movie that’s all about the redemption of a terrible person through a weird kid and a Santa-fetishising Lauren Graham.
Over one weekend, we watched the original Horrible Bosses and its sequel. Our reactions surprised us. The first film is the story of three men who decide to kill their bosses. The second finds the same three men self-employed, but similarly screwed over by someone in power, so more revenge is in order.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays a merciless LA hustler breaking into the voyeuristic world of crime scene paparazzi. To say any more would be to spoil this intense and uncomfortable thriller, so wait ‘til you’ve seen it before listening to this episode.
A big favourite of the last Oscar season that we missed out on, we catch up on Her. We provide the useful consumer advice, probably too late for most, that this is not a film to pick for a video night with your parents.
Katniss Everdeen survived a second hunger games (just), and now the rebellion is in open war against the Capitol. Katie is not emotionally prepared for this. Mel is over-invested in the fate of the cat. The best-named characters in literature are back for the penultimate Hunger Games movie. Feels abound.
Christopher Nolan returns with a long, noisy, serious hard sci-fi film, Interstellar. Matthew McConaughey plays a down-home dad, NASA pilot and engineer sent on a mission to find a planet not yet ruined by humans.
Brad Pitt and a ragtag band of misfits have survived for most of WWII in their battered old tank, Fury. Newbie Norman, lately called up to the front from a desk job, must replace a beloved member of the team and accompany them on one last mission.
In a snowy Canadian winter, a little girl goes missing from the back of her father’s car. Atom Egoyan directs an episodic and bleak film that isn’t what you expect it to be.
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon made a small horror film about horror films. It also happens to be one of Katie’s top five movies, so we’ve chosen it for our Halloween special!
Mediaeval Transylvanian prince Vlad the Impaler makes a deal with the supernatural when invading Turkish forces threaten his kingdom and his family.
On her fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Elliott Dunne disappears from the home she shares with her husband Nick. As Nick follows the clues she left behind, he becomes the main suspect in her disappearance.
Katie makes us watch a Step Up movie due to her obsession with So You Think You Can Dance. We enjoy some spectacularly bad acting and some spectacularly good dancing and totally make some clever intellectual points.
A boy called Eggs is raised by creatures called Boxtrolls who live under the streets of Cheesebridge. Social climbing local Archibald Snatcher tries to exterminate the Boxtrolls in return for a prestigious white hat.
Thomas finds himself deposited in a glade full of teenage boys surrounded by a mysterious and apparently dangerous maze. Finding himself having mysterious flashbacks, his instinct is to fight the prevailing leadership structures and escape.
Ivan Locke, a father and construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest job of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his apparently secure and happy existence.
The story of Mason, a boy growing up in Texas between 2002 and 2013, shot in increments over that time. A languid slice of life about being a boy in America in the last decade and a half.
Australian directors the Spierig brothers adapt a challenging and thought-provoking short story into an ambitious sci-fi thriller. Sarah Snook gets the breakthrough role of her career, ably assisted by Ethan Hawke.
The city of Los Angeles is overrun by shark-infested tornadoes. Chaos ensues and Ian Ziering’s Fin (geddit) must race against the fast-moving monsters of the deep to save his family and friends.
Legendary wrestling hero Dwayne Johnson plays legendary Greek hero Hercules in this surprisingly high quality B-movie that makes the most of the source material to deliver a genuinely empowering message with a lot of heart.
Scarlett Johansson finally gets to headline her own action flick in Luc Besson’s not-as-smart-as-it-thinks-it-is LUCY. Still, she kicks butt and audiences desperate for a Black Widow solo movie flock to see it.
Earth child Peter Quill is kidnapped by space pirates in 1988, after tragically watching his mother get fridged. 25 years later, he steals a valuable orb coveted by the villainous Kree, Ronan, and hooks up with a ragtag band of misfits to help save the world and deal with his daddy and mommy issues.
In 2010, James Nguyen made a Hitchcock-inspired vanity project that combined his personal biography with his environmental fervour. The result is widely regarded as the Worst Movie Ever™.
Bong Joon-Ho’s dystopian train film has been the controversial hit of the summer. We manage to track it down, despite its minimal release, and, in a burst of professionalism, manage to confine our Chris Evans fangirling to a few minutes at the end.
The Simian virus from 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes has wreaked havoc on humans, and let apes advance. Ten years later, low on fuel, humans start to infringe on ape territory.
With a few quiet weeks at the cinema, Mel and Katie decided to take a look at some films directed by women. We start with this 1992 Penny Marshall-helmed classic starring Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell and Tom Hanks about the women’s professional baseball league set up during World War Two.
Dynamic crime fighting duo Jenko and Schmidt return from their undercover adventure busting high school drug dealers to bust drug dealers in college. It’s so meta, it could be described as heavy meta.
Set five years after the charming 2010 original, Hiccup and his dragon Toothless discover that there are more humans interacting with dragons than they ever knew.
Somehow, Tom Cruise pitched Saving Private Ryan meets District 9 meets Groundhog Day and somehow it works. We think it has something to do with Emily Blunt’s muscles.
It’s the weepy teen romance for this generation, a tumblr favourite featuring it-kids Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as teenagers with cancer who meet in support group and fall in love. Laura Dern as Woodley’s mother is the hero of the movie for your old-lady reviewers.
Angelina Jolie stars as the ‘bad’ fairy from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, now given the chance to tell her own story anew. Queen Angelina rules this film while Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley and Sam Riley bask in her glow.
Two generations of mutants team up for time travel shenanigans and 1970s haircuts and some hardcore alternate universe retrospective continuity. Lots happens, and James McAvoy steals the show.
A surprise hit on its February release, The Lego Movie didn’t make it to Australia for two months. With the iTunes/Blu-ray/DVD release imminent, we take a look.
Belle is based on the real life story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy admiral and a slave called Maria Belle, raised by her aristocratic great uncle Lord Mansfield, best known as the Lord Chief Justice who ruled slavery illegal in England. Belle negotiates coming of age as an aristocratic woman of colour in Georgian England as another of her uncle’s important anti-slavery cases playing out in the background.
In a post-apocalyptic world based on the YA novels by Veronica Roth, the world has taken the Hogwarts Sorting Hat as a model for society. Beatrice/Tris doesn’t fit in her native Hufflepuff and is therefore a dangerous mix of character traits. She joins Gryffindor and gets caught in a battle with the dangerous Ravenclaws.
It’s the 10th anniversary of this high school classic. Lindsay Lohan at the peak of her powers, assisted by the excellent Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried and Tina Fey. Today, we wear pink.
It’s the Rise of Electro Boogaloo, as Andrew Garfield’s charming Spidey, Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacey and a talented cast do their best with a (maybe too) faithful comic book adaptation.
The most Wes Anderson-y movie starring Ralph Fiennes as the delicious Monsieur Gustave, concierge extraordinaire and old school ringmaster of the Grand Budapest Hotel. When his wealthy old amour dies, Gustave is accused of her murder and must fight to clear his name and reclaim his hotel.
It’s finally here! Marvel takes us into the world of the now-defrosted Captain Steve Rogers as he watches the country and the institutions he trusts crumble around him. Chris Evans as our titular hero shares the screen with an excellent supporting cast lead by Scarlett Johanssen, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson and Sebastian Stan.
Darren Aronofsky tries to explore his interest in life, death and creation while also bringing back the Biblical epic. Russell Crowe plays the unlikeable title character with assists from Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and some cool rock monster fallen angels.
George Clooney gets a bunch of dudes together because he’d like to hang out with them. There’s a vague plot in there somewhere about saving important works of art from the Nazis. Bill Murray and Bob Balaban have an excellent buddy movie sub-plot.
Kristen Bell, Rob Thomas and 91,000 devoted Veronica Mars fans resurrected this much-loved TV series for a movie set nine years later on the eve of Veronica’s ten year high school reunion. Logan Echolls is in trouble (again) over a dead girlfriend (again) and Veronica can’t resist helping him.
Liam Neeson plays a grizzled, alcoholic air marshal faced with a hijacker toying with him on a New York to London flight. Michelle Dockery, Julianne Moore and Lupita Nyong’o are in support and the whole thing is a big fun action movie.
Mel and Katie review this overlooked cult classic in-the-making from 2013. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton play our titular heroes in a bloody tale of swords, sorcery and revenge. It’s fun, feminist and full of f-words (the movie that is, this is a family podcast!)
A loving tribute to sci-fi television and its fans, and something of a nerd classic, Galaxy Quest tells the story of the alumni cast of a cult space TV show have to play their roles for real when an alien race needs their help. Best watched with wine.
It’s another twofer, as Mel and Katie watch the RoboCop remake and revisit the 1987 original. They reminisce about a simpler time when an R-rating and a mad director gave us something completely off the wall, then look at the more serious remake, featuring brilliant performances from Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton in supporting roles.
Katie and Mel talk about the delightful kids series from Sony Animation starring a mad scientist, his dad, a meteorologist, their town and a FLDSMDFR.
An Irish woman and a journalist work to track down the son she was forced to give up for adoption nearly 50 years earlier when she was incarcerated in one of the notorious Magdalene Laundries. Mel and Katie talk about telling womens’ stories and the way this movie has been marketed to your mum when it is an important and interesting film for everyone.
Jack Ryan gets a re-boot with the lovely Chris Pine in the title role. We see Jack’s beginnings as a PHD student turned Marine turned CIA analyst and enjoy a by-the-numbers action romp featuring the excellent Kiera Knightley and Kenneth ‘of course I speak Russian’ Brannagh.
British director Steve McQueen adapts the memoir of Solomon Northrup, a middle class free man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American south.
The story of the curmudgeonly Australian-born author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers and the two-decade struggle by Walt Disney to secure the rights to her story.
Over the Christmas break, Katie and Mel saw a bunch of movies and decided to review them in one episode. In the grand tradition of the Star Wars Holiday Special, they present a feature-packed episode talking Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, American Hustle, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Frozen.
‘Tis the season. For our inaugural Christmas episode, we watch the ultimate Christmas movie.
A young computer whiz kid (Matthew Broderick with boy band hair) accidentally connects into a top secret super-computer which has complete control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It challenges him to a game between America and Russia, and he innocently starts the countdown to World War 3.
The peaceful undeath of long-lived vampire lovers Adam and Eve is interrupted by Adam’s bout of depression and the interruption of Eve’s sister Ava. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton make living forever look mighty appealing.
After surviving the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen just wants to lead a normal life, but the President has other ideas for her as a revolution begins around the country.
It’s Katie’s birthday, so we watched her favourite movie on the big screen. The Goonies tells the story of the adventures of a group of kids hunting for pirate treasure and trying to save their town from developers.
A formative story of love, obsession, murder and the Beat Generation. Daniel Radcliffe plays Allen Ginsberg as he heads off to Columbia University in 1944 and meets the friends who will change his life.
Loki’s back! And, er, his brother. This week Mel and Katie have an argument about Marvel’s latest trip to Asgard.
It’s Halloween, so Mel swallows her distaste of horror movies to watch Sam Raimi’s 1981 indie cabin-in-the-woods classic The Evil Dead.
Whiny teen Jennifer Connelly learns to be responsible with the help of some Jim Henson creatures. David Bowie prances about wearing some fabulous makeup and an infamous codpiece. It’s time to enjoy the cult classic Labyrinth.
A doctor on her first space voyage and a veteran astronaut are left floating in space after a catastrophic accident. Melissa and Katie worry that it’s going to be like 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s not.
Rush tells the true story of the 1976 Formula One racing season, and the rivalry between British driver James Hunt and Austrian Niki Lauda, who was horrifically injured part way through the season but made an astonishing comeback.
In a break from the usual format, the girls interview director Rebecca Barry about her new film I Am A Girl, a documentary which tells the stories of the lives, loves and struggles of six teenage girls living very different lives around the world.
The second episode in our ‘Mel learns some culture’ series takes us to the ice planet Hoth, with the Tauntaun sleeping bag and AT-ATs. We also meet Yoda in the swamp, Han Solo is encased in carbonite and Luke and his dad do some bonding.
It’s time for some classic Arnold Schwarzenegger in Silver Screen Queens-land this week, with the oft-quoted Predator. Ahnuld and his enormous biceps lead an intrepid team of commandos through the central American jungle, where they soon discover that their enemy is not guerrilla fighters but something far more dangerous.
Mel and Katie caught a rare big screen showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic (and Mel’s all-time favourite movie) on the weekend. They talk about why it’s considered a classic and gain a real appreciation of the talent and work that went into being Grace Kelly.
After India Stoker’s father dies on her 18th birthday, a mysterious uncle, Charlie, appears in her life. As India and her mother learn to cope with one another and their grief, the family’s dark secrets come to the surface.
Twilight clone, Harry Potter rip-off, glorified fan fiction… The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has had some bad press thrown its way. Mel and Katie went to investigate.
Kick-Ass and Hit Girl are back to deal with the consequences of their last outing. Katie and Mel deal with the consequences of watching all this violence and vengeance and wonder about the point of it all.
Mel has never been big on the Star Wars franchise. Katie loves the original movies and doesn’t understand such heresy. They go back to basics by watching (the 1997 re-released version of) the original 1977 Star Wars.
Over the weekend, Mel and Katie binge-watched Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz in preparation for the finale of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s Cornetto trilogy. In The World’s End, five blokes on the cusp of 40 try to recapture their youth with a legendary pub crawl called the Golden Mile. They return to their small, sleepy home town, where things seem a little too smooth, maybe even…robotic.
After the showdown of X-Men: The Last Stand (A.K.A X-Men 3), Wolverine is all messed up about Jean Grey and stuff. It’s emotional you guys, so when a man he saved in Nagasaki during World War II invites him to Japan to say goodbye, he’s happy for the distraction provided by a wealthy family mob war and a viperous mutant villain. With an awesome lady sidekick and an insipid heiress by his side, Logan fights his demons living, dead and something in between.
Darren Aronofsky spent more than five years trying to get this film made, a personal meditation on life, death, nature and religion. It stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz playing multiple characters in three different timelines. So is it a work of art or pretentious prettiness?
Giant alien creatures emerge from a rift in the floor of the Pacific Ocean and overwhelm humans living in surrounding countries. Humans fight back by inventing giant robots so powerful they need to be operated by at least two people. As the alien attacks intensify, humanity must marshall their resources to cancel the apocalypse.
Katie and Mel lead such exciting lives that they spent their Saturday night watching the Tomb Raider movies. To their own surprise as much as anything, they found them to be good fun action movies that don’t take themselves too seriously. Here’s the story of how Mel and Katie became Angelina Jolie fans…
Superman has been rebooted once more, this time in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. It’s big, long, loud, bombastic, action-packed and a very different and ambitious take on Superman. Does it pull off a Dark Knight? Or is it more of an Amazing Spider-man?
This week, the girls talk about Monsters University, in which Pixar mines one of its old properties for a prequel. The film tells the story of the beginning of Mike and Sully’s friendship in their college days. Thrown together with a team of ragtag misfits, the boys fight to keep their places in the prestigious scare program, and their dream of working at Monsters, Inc alive.
This week, Mel and Katie caught a preview screening of Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing. Unlike ordinary folk, when Joss Whedon takes a holiday (during a break in the production of a small comic book flick about some superheroes), he makes a film. The result is this lighthearted romp through a classic Shakespeare play starring some familiar faces from the Joss Whedon Repertory Society.
A new(ish) release this week as the girls take a look at Baz Luhrmann’s glitter-filled adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. They talk up the virtues of 3D, discuss the sorry state of the Australian film industry, and Mel contemplates life as the host of a podcast about diamonds.
This week Katie and Melissa talk about Christian horror film The Visitation. In a small town in rural Texas, Pastor Travis has lost his wife, his faith and his dog. All around him people are being healed, and a charismatic young man appears, giving hope to townspeople who had lost their way. But all is not as it seems…
Continuing on their eclectic podcasting journey, this week Katie and Mel take on a cult classic. Directed by John Carpenter and released in 1986, Big Trouble In Little China stars Kurt Russell, his mullet, Kim Cattrall and Dennis Dun. It’s a fun, silly, smart supernatural action romp through the underside of San Francisco’s Chinatown.
This week the girls go way back to look at one of their favourite movies, Some Like It Hot, released in 1959, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.
This week we boldly go into darkness by reviewing the most recent Star Trek film. Spoilers abound as we talk about Chris Pine’s blue eyes, misleading trailers and decide that Shatner is definitely a verb.