The Wastebasket: Recent Episodes
The Wastebasket
Your friends Chris and Jordan laugh and weep about life and movies. You've found the podcast that proves it's possible to be all things to all people.
The 2023 edition of Chris and Jordan's pre-Oscar extravaganza. They give their picks for the major categories (5:34), the quickly review Everything Everywhere All at Once (33:33), The Banshees of Inisherin (38:55), The Fabelmans (46:55), and Tár (1:01:00)
Chris and Jordan discuss Albany, Canadia, Prey, Barry S3, House of the Dragon, and Strange New Worlds
Jordan goes to the movies for the first time since before the [redacted] to see Top Gun: Maverick.
In a pre-Oscar extravaganza, Chris and Jordan review The Power of the Dog, Spencer, and Licorice Pizza.
Chris and Jordan reflect on 2021 and look ahead to 2022. Christmas traditions in warm climates, remote work, and some quick movies and TV reviews.
Chris and Jordan compare three adaptions of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel: David Lynch's Dune (1984), SciFi Channel's Dune (2000), and Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021).
Breakfast burritos, The Lord of the Rings audiobooks, Succession, Ted Lasso, Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Jordan and Chris discuss "A Most Violent Year" in the final installment of a three part series looking at the work of director J. C. Chandor.
Chris and Jordan discuss winners and losers of the Summer of 2021. They touch on soccer, acid reflux, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Tony Judt, and Netflix envelopes.
Jordan and Chris discuss "All Is Lost" in the second of a three part series looking at the work of director J. C. Chandor.
Welcome to the 2021 Wastebasket Oscar Podcast! Jordan and Chris begin the pod with a discussion of preferred stove-top popcorn popping techniques (3:30). They then go head-to-head in the first Oscar draft (14:25). Following the draft, the in-depth discussion about individual Best Picture nominees begins (32:30). They watched them all so that you don't have to.
Films discussed: Trial of the Chicago 7 (38:47), Nomadland (45:10), Promising Young Woman (55:42), The Father (1:12:00), Mank (1:19:00), Judas and the Black Messiah (1:32:15), Minari (1:44:00), and, finally, Sound of Metal (1:54:00).
Jordan ends it with a quick shout out to Another Round (2:07:00) and White Tiger.
Jordan and Chris discuss "Margin Call" in the first of a three part series looking at the work of director J. C. Chandor.
Next up we'll be reviewing films by director J. C. Chandor.
Where to watch:
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Margin Call
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All is Lost
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A Most Violent Year
Wondering about other movies we've covered? Check out our list on Letterboxd!
Chris and Jordan kick up their heels, sip some whiskey, and relax after the first deep dive series. We discuss great shows on HBO Max - Flight Attendant, Harley Quinn, and The Great Pottery Throw Down. Chris continues the conversation with further craft recommendations, with the glass blowing Netflix show Blown Away and the audiobook of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.
Join us on our next Deep Dive series where we take a look at three movies by director J.C. Chandor.
Chris and Jordan conclude their deep dive into the career of Sean Connery with a discussion of the 1990 spy-thriller "The Russia House."
The New Yorker profile on Michelle Pfeiffer
Sean Connery Interview About The Russia House on GMTV
Chris and Jordan continue their deep dive into the career of Sean Connery with a discussion of "The Man Who Would Be King."
Streaming: The Man Who Would Be King
John Huston - An Open Book
Mark Harris - Five Came Back - has sections on Huston's wartime experiences
Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed
Michael Caine - The Elephant to Hollywood
Robert Byron - The Road to Oxiana
Chris and Jordan discuss "The Molly Maguires" in the first of a three part series looking at lesser known titles in Sean Connery's career.
Director: Martin Ritt
http://paheritage.wpengine.com/article/martin-ritt-takes-molly-maguires/
https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/martin-ritt-focused-on-social-issues
Cinematographer: James Wong Howe
https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/james-wong-howe-master-of-lights
Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed
Where to Stream
Welcome to The Wastebasket: Deep Dives. In Season 2 we're going to be exploring actors, directors, and genres in more depth. First up will be a three part series on Sean Connery. Stay tuned for the next episode about the movie The Molly Maguires.
Happy Holidays p-cast subscribers! On this end of year podcast, Chris and Jordan discuss Chris's cross country skiing adventure, Jordan's end of the year movie marathon, Chris's top six albums of the year, and our TV and YouTube recommendations for the holiday break. Finally they review the movie "Overlord" (27:03).
Chris's top six albums of 2020:
Folklore - Taylor Swift
Private Lives - Low Cut Connie
Women in Music Pt III - Haim
Rough and Rowdy Ways - Bob Dylan
Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa
RTJ4 - Run the Jewels
Beanpole - https://lapl.kanopy.com/video/beanpole
Wings - https://www.criterionchannel.com/wings-1
scholagladiatoria - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt14YOvYhd5FCGCwcjhrOdA
Tod's Workshop - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWnlQMQ-ACfhpD68yWRsnJw
Jaipur Lit Festival - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKTmQriO9OorGm-YfaRDNeg
James Hoffman on Coffee - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMb0O2CdPBNi-QqPk5T3gsQ
Chris and Jordan discuss NY virus politics, Hulu's price increase (14:00), Bruce Campbell (23:08), new Macintosh computers (24:45), and our Turkey day plans (30:40). Then they review "The Insider" (39:23). On the next pod, they will discuss "Overlord".
Chris and Jordan discuss Biden's victory and, election night cocktails (9:12). Then they review two movies: "King of New York" (17:25), and "Blue Ruin" (26:04). On the next pod, they will discuss "The Insider".
Chris and Jordan discuss the World Series, the demise of Quibi (10:45). the pandemic ravaged economy (23:40), the Twitter pause (22:37), and Jordan's AFI Fest 2020 film recommendations (33:30). Finally, they review the October surprise, "Borat 2" (43:15). On the next episode, they will discuss "King of New York", and "Blue Ruin".
Chris and Jordan discuss sports in the pandemic. The U.S. government going after big tech monopolies (17:41). The pandemic ravaged economy (23:40). How to deal with subscribing to too many newsletters (31:00). Lastly, with the help of special guest Andrea, they review the Miyazaki animated film "Howl's Moving Castle" (37:00). On the next episode, they will discuss "Borat 2".
BIG newsletter by Matt Stoller, a newsletter about the history and politics of monopoly power.
Mailbrew, for organizing and creating a digest of all your newsletters subscriptions.
Chris and Jordan discuss the ramifications of RBG's recent death. On a lighter note, we discuss Peacock's streaming sports functionality (28:50). Lastly, they review the psychological thriller "The Lighthouse" (44:00). On the next p-cast, they will discuss "Howl's Moving Castle".
Chris and Jordan talk about coronavirus, stand up paddle boarding (7:52), Chris's newest Casio watch (17:00), the problem with the stock market (23:00), and problems at Disney (28:05). Then they review the methodical South Korean film "Burning" (51:21). On the next pod, they will discuss "The Lighthouse".
Chris and Jordan talk about labor laws as they relate to Uber and Lyft. CBS All Access problems (20:00). Epic vs. Apple (25:45). Then they review the gambling & bromance movie "Mississippi Grind" (39:40). On the next podcast, they will discuss 2018's "Burning".
Chris and Jordan discuss the seemingly intentional sabotage of the USPS, the tragedy in Beirut, and Tik Tok's future in the United States. Then they review the Spanish-language movie "Everybody Knows" (33:55). On the next podcast, they will discuss "Mississippi Grind".
Notes:
Verge article about the US, Tik Tok, and Hypocrisy
USPS Issues:
New postal policies that are slowing service may affect 2020 mail-in voting, union leader says
'Friday Night Massacre' at US Postal Service as Postmaster General—a Major Trump Donor—Ousts Top Officials
Flamenco music: "Pink Flamenco" by Doug Maxwell
Jordan and Chris discuss televised sports in the age of corona* . What it means that Rocket League is going Free To Play (18:10). Then they review the indie movie "Sorry to Bother You" (24:33). On the next podcast, they will review "Everybody Knows".
Chris and Jordan discuss how bad things are bad, and Kanye's vision for the country. Then, they share their thoughts about the musical "Hamilton" on Disney+ (24:20). Finally, they review the classic movie "Tremors" (34:55). For the next podcast, they will be reviewing "Sorry to Bother You".
Jordan and Chris discuss America's impending doom, and Zebra vs. Unicorn businesses. Chris goes through Apple's announcements at WWDC 2020 (18:30). Then they review the movie "The Vast of Night" (48:07). For the next podcast, they will be reviewing "Tremors".
Chris and Jordan discuss the PlayStation 5 design, the Windows apps Jordan loves, and what Chris thinks of the Lenovo X1. They review the movie "Her Smell" (33:55). For the next podcast, they will be reviewing "The Vast of Night".
Playstation 5 - Chris hates
Everything - excellent search tool for Windows
7-zip - archiving and extraction tool
Audacity - Audio editing software that's better than what Chris uses
Send to Kindle for PC - Send files directly from computer to your Kindle
Freedom - Productivity tool to assist you in blocking internet for specific time periods
SumatraPDF - Ugly website for a great product
Notepad++ - Fast text editor
WinDirStat - Lightweight tool for seeing what's taking up space on your PC
Google Keep - Nice to do list / note taking app
Lenovo X1 Carbon - Chris loves more than a Mac
Chris and Jordan discuss trains (again) in Los Angeles & Washington DC, and dive deep into Chris's favorite Mac apps. Then they discuss this week's movie, "Train to Busan" (31:35).
For the next podcast, they will be reviewing "Her Smell".
Chris's favorite Mac app list: https://chrisltd.com/blog/2020/05/mac-apps-i-use-2020
Jordan recommends "The Darkest Timeline Podcast with Ken Jeong and Joel McHale" for die-hard Community fans. Chris and Jordan discuss the fractures the pandemic has exposed in THE ECONOMY (14:25). They then discuss this week's movie pick, "The Limey" (43:15).
For the next podcast, we will be discussing "Train to Busan".
Recent article on Limey re-release and editing process : https://nofilmschool.com/the-limey-steven-soderbergh-interview
In this podcast, Chris and Jordan reminisce on on archaic means of watching movies (Blockbuster! DVDs) and playing games (Best Buy!). Jordan makes some typical tasteless jokes. Then they are joined by popular guest, Andrea, to discuss "Hostiles" (31:25). Spoiler alert: There's some disagreement.
Retro Sloth's game streaming channel
Hostiles (2017)
Next Podcast: The Limey (1999)
This episode of The Wastebasket was declared an essential service by the US government! Don't call us heroes though - we're just doing our jobs. Chris breaks down an Apple-Google partnership that may help us do contact tracing and improve our chances of less future lockdowns while Jordan has some umbrage about the privacy implications.
In entertainment, we discuss the first season of the Kurtzman-Chabon joint, Star Trek: Picard (45:48). Full spoilers for Picard, and a few from many other Star Trek series.
Links:
Star Trek: Picard
Reviews of Picard that are referenced: Tor.com | The Guardian
Alan Sepinwall on season lengths
Other references to episode and season length from Vulture and The Ringer
Welcome to a very special Pandemic Pod! We dive into life under self-isolation rules in NYC and LA, the divisive politics of the moment and what we hope are some positives that we can take away from this global crisis. We are then joined by special guest / fan favorite Andrea to discuss Contagion (1:00:40), dip our toes into Outbreak (1:15:30) and Twelve Monkeys (1:19:00), and conclude with some Brad Pitt appreciation.
You can find Andrea's Jewelry on her website and Instagram.
Films:
Contagion
Outbreak
Twelve Monkeys
Jordan and Chris discuss water stores in Los Angeles, food and package deliveries during the Coronavirus panic, and Chris's visit to Baltimore. Chris has an update on his laptop (23:10). Then Chris and Jordan review three movies, Jojo Rabbit (26:50), John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (36:10), and Greta Gerwig's Little Women (47:50).
The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do (Kurzgesagt)
Go see big ships in Baltimore
Patriots Point in Charleston
Movies Discussed:
Jojo Rabbit (2020)
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Little Women (2019)
Chris and Jordan discuss pro gamers, and the state of American Healthcare in regards to Coronavirus (14:05). Then they review Terminator: Dark Fate (44:00).
Chris and Jordan discuss why the Iowa Democratic caucuses disaster was less about tech and more about corruption. Afterwards they review Marriage Story (23:40).
Chris and Jordan discuss the economic consequences of self driving cars and Uber before diving into Netflix's Dolemite is My Name (32:55). Afterwards they discuss salads at the Alamo Drafthouse and the best picture nominee 1917 (46:20).
Chris and Jordan discuss gift ideas in this holiday spectacular ideas episode. The politics of impeachment (14:05). What they thought of Rian Johnson's whodunnit movie Knives Out (22:29). Then, whether you want it or not, they review Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker (50:10) // Interstitial music by Joseph McDade
Your friends Chris and Jordan discuss the Kindle Paperwhite. Chris got to try Google's Stadia gaming service (18:00). They talk about the book Atomic Habits (23:50). Chris is excited about the new 16" MacBook Pro (29:09). Then they dive into 2015's horror flick Green Room (43:35). // Interstitial music by Joseph McDade
Enjoy this non-birthday, non-Halloween spectacular. Chris and Jordan discuss the non-operatic works of Gilbert & Sullivan, Jojo Rabbit, David Byrne on Broadway, AirPods Pro, and Chris's upcoming trip to Budapest. Jordan has some thoughts after being knee deep in e-waste (27:03). Then your hosts are joined by a special guest to discuss the horror movie Midsommar (46:05). // Interstitial music by Joseph McDade
Chris and Jordan discuss electricity blackouts in California, the latest news out of Washington, D.C. (14:40), American businesses and China (18:44), and Chris's latest travails with HomePod (25:50). Then Chris gives a mini-review of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker and the surrounding controversy (35:30). Finally, Chris and Jordan review the movie Get Carter from 1971 (47:15).
Chris and Jordan discuss NBC's Peacock streaming service, and Apple's lastest iPhones and watches (5:25). Finally, they review the 2015 Michael Fassbender movie Slow West (31:45).
Chris and Jordan discuss the future of Spider-Man movies after the Marvel and Sony divorce, Jordan's "love" of banks (26:19). Lastly, they review the heist movie Widows (34:03).
Chris Johnson and Jordan Mendenhall discuss going to the beach, our nation's poor transportation infrastructure. Then, Jordan tells us about his new Bluetooth headphone lifestyle (23:50). Finally, they review the Netflix original movie Buster Scruggs (34:55).
Chris Johnson and Jordan Mendenhall discuss the International Space Station. Then, Mazda not relying on touch screens in cars and yearly themes (25:30). Finally, they review the classic movie Road House (41:05).
On this 4th of July special episode, Chris Johnson and Jordan Mendenhall discuss their thoughts on summer in NYC and LA, talk about their favorite summer movies (12:27). Then, what is so great about summer, the Yankees in London, and more (35:37).
Chris Johnson and Jordan Mendenhall discuss the outdated methods of submitting your income taxes in the United States, Disney+, and then they review the movie Locke starring Tom Hardy in a BMW.
Chris Johnson and Jordan Mendenhall discuss Apple's services event, Brexit, and Captain Marvel (spoilers).
Chris Johnson and Jordan Mendenhall discuss March Madness, Google's Stadia game streaming service, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Note: we are not affiliated with or sponsored by Soleil