Hollywood's Basement: Recent Episodes
Michael and Sophie
Come into Hollywood's Basement and join hosts Sophie and Michael as they review some of Hollywood's greatest films. Each week, a new film from a long list will be chosen randomly as Sophie and Michael explore the film analytically and put it through some fun challenges. And be sure to keep an eye out for Bonus Basements, our newest short reviews!
Michael and Sophie are here with a bonus episode for you guys! Bet you didn't see that one coming! Sophie takes a look into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time after Wandavision, and Michael dives back into a franchise he has visited many times before. We hope you enjoy this shorter episode with a few new fun games thrown in!
Sophie and Michael are coming at you with a podcast on the cult classic "The Warriors" directed by Walter Hill and featuring an ensemble cast to play the Warriors gang of New York City. After a brutal murder of a gang figurehead who sought to unify every gang of New York, the Warriors are framed and must survive the journey back to their home turf at Coney Island. On the way, they have to fend off rival gangs as well as the law. Stick around to find out what Michael and Sophie thought of this legendary comic adaptation.
Take a cosmic trip with Michael and Sophie as we dive into Interstellar this week! Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway as astronauts on an interstellar mission (Get it?) to save the human race. As mentioned in our very first episode, Michael and Sophie are not extremely fond of space movies, but how does this hold up?
After a thrilling return to the Marvel Universe, Sophie and Michael review the latest hit show Wandavision! Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and The Vision, the duo enter an anomaly placing them in sitcoms throughout the decades. With the addition of some of your other favorite MCU characters, here's Michael and Sophie's take on the rollercoaster 9 episode limited series, the first from Marvel.
Michael and Sophie dive right into the first of the Sequel Trilogy of Star Wars films, the first of which to be developed by Disney. Starring Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron(Oscar Isaac) the trio fight their way through the first order and the evil sith lord Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) to save the galaxy from totalitarian rule. Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and Princess Leia, (Carrie Fischer) also return.
Take a look as we dive into the classic book reimagined by Baz Luhrmann into the hit film, The Great Gatsby. Starring Toby McGuire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Carey Mulligan, we get a peek into the roaring twenties through the eyes of Nick Carraway. How does this reimagining hold up to today's standards though? Guess we'll have to find out.
It's Dave! Sophie and Vince dive into the 90s sleeper comedy, Dave. In Dave, Dave (Kevin Kline) is suddenly thrust into the role of president, due to being his doppelganger. Slowly but surely, he sees that the shoes he is filling are not as intimidating as he initially thought. Can he repair the country along with the president's marriage with Ellen (Sigourney Weaver)? Stick around as the duo throw this film through the wringer.
What up party people!? Sophie and Vince are back with Hollywood's Basement and our take on the 1996 film Fear. David, played by Markie Mark himself, falls for Nicole, a sweet young innocent high school girl played by Reese Witherspoon. However, just like the introduction to Wizards of Waverly Place, everything is NOT what it seems. David begins to have increasingly jealous and toxic tendencies that become apparent. Stick around to find out just how creepy this incredible film gets.
Sophie and Vince take a look at the most popular, as well as their personal favorite Christmas films and put them through the wringer, giving them the old Hollywood's Basement twist. Find out which were our favorites, and maybe some controversial picks for what could be a Christmas film.
Gangs! Violence! Questionable CGI! This podcast has it all! Vince and Sophie take a look at Martin Scorsese's 2002 film Gangs of New York and share their opinions on this interesting movie. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz, set in the mid 19th century, in New York City (Of course, it's Scorsese). What did we think of this film? Stick around to find out how it compares to Scorsese's other great films.
Vince and Sophie dive into this week's podcast with the well-renowned rom-com, 500 Days of Summer. The story follows Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the 500 days he spends either with or thinking about Summer (Zoey Deschanel). The two share unparalleled chemistry that may or may not end up in tragedy. Ever wondered what this rom-com would have been like as an action movie? Or maybe even what this would have been like re-cast with different actors? Stick around to find out!
Vince and Sophie are back with a brand new format and a few new activities thrown in to give our episodes some more spunk! This week we are taking a dive into Black Swan which won Natalie Portman her Oscar back in 2010. Both Portman and we have come a long way since her debut in Leon the Professional. Here Nina (Portman) goes down a psychedelic and obsessive path to becoming the biggest ballet star as she lands the most sought-after role in the production of Swan Lake. However, there are a few bumps in the road as Nina begins to realize some odd changes to her body, as tensions and her anxiety ramps up leading up to the big performance. What did Vince and Sophie think of Portman's performance? Stick around to find out!
Vince and Sophie take a look into the Netflix adaptation of the book The Phantom Prince, written by Elizabeth Kendall, about what it was like to live dating serial killer Ted Bundy. This film, in addition to the Ted Bundy tapes, have brought the serial killer into the spotlight recently. Zac Effron and Lily Collins give phenomenal performances telling the true story behind the scenes of the cultural phenomenon that is Ted Bundy: Serial Killer.
This week on Hollywood's Basement, Vince and Sophie jump into the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany's starring the famous Audrey Hepburn and the less famous George Peppard. In this classic rom-com Holly, an aspiring actress, meets Paul, A.K.A. Fred, a writer moving into her building. Little do they know, they share more in common than on the surface, and the two form an inspiring bond together. Listen in as Vince and Sophie give you the low down on how it holds up today.
This week Sophie and Vince take a look at the critically acclaimed film by Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now. A tale of a weathered Army Captain sent on a suicide mission in Vietnam that shows the horrors of war and spells how just how insane the Vietnam war was. Is the story behind the scenes more interesting than the actual film? Stick around to find out.
This week Vince and Sophie dive into the 1994 hit, Leon the Professional. Starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and Natalie Portman in her film debut at the young age of 12. Leon, a professional hitman, must take in a young orphaned girl, urging her to lead a normal life unlike his. Along their journey, they connect in unexpected ways, all whilst avoiding a looming threat.
On the first-ever episode of Hollywood's Basement Vince and Sophie review Across the Universe, a psychedelic tale throughout the 70s told mostly through artistic musical numbers and intrinsic sequences. The catch? All the music from the film takes well-known tracks from none other than The Beatles and turns them into something completely new. Did these experimental pieces of art and music convey the right message?