Movies That Matter: Recent Episodes
Nicole Funari
Movies that Matter is the podcast going beyond basic film criticism to boldly explore a social issue affecting people's lives.
Stacy, Adam, Garret, Lexy, Justin and Nicole give a final send-off to the podcast. The hosts reflect on making the podcast, memorable moments on mic and off, and favorite episodes. We thank everyone who participated and everyone who listened along the way. We'll miss you.
Lexy, Garret, and Nicole discuss Wicked and how much of society still operates like status in high school. We rave about the movie from the performances, to the costumes, to the cinematography, and the utter triumph Jon Chu created. The social issues in the movie are presented through the lens of high school and the movie's most popular song, Popular, which is resonant to the way we seek status in our adult lives.
Nicole recommends a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic The Gay Divorcee. Lexy recommends the movie podcast Guilty Pleasures. Garret recommends the original Oz books.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Stacy, Lexy, Adam, Justin and Nicole discuss the Gladiator sequel and its cynical cash grab. Everyone disliked the movie although most were entertained mainly finding fault with shoddy writing and Paul Mescal and liking the fights and Denzel Washington. We talk about the legacy of sword and sandal movies and the first Gladiator. We find the movie as a pretty cynical cash grab without any meaning or purpose.
Justin recommends Black Spartacus, Lexy recommends Y2K, Adam recommends The King, Nicole recommends visitn Antelope Canyon.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Lexy, Garret, and Nicole discuss Conclave and election and how we decide what our future should be. We praise the craft of the movie from the lighting to the cinematography to the costume design. We wrap our head around a movie about an election recording the day after our U.S. presidential election. We talk about how the decisions of the conclave between left and right mirrors the most recent U.S. election.
Lexy recommends Agatha All Along. Garret recommends The Davinci Code and being kind to yourself. Nicole recommends The Book of Doors.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin, Stacy, and Lexy discuss The Wild Robot and the trope of unexpected parenthood. We praise the movie's animation and emotional beats. We also discuss the time-honored trope of a childless loner finding themselves accidentally a parent. We find the movie still finds unexplored territory, surprising us with a more modern view of motherhood. The movie tackles the challenges of being a parent along with the rewards and the need for cooperation in a hostile world.
Lexy recommends The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Justin recommends The Prince of Egypt and The Penguin.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Nicole, Adam, Garret, Justin, and Lexy discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the trend of capitalizing on nostalgia in movies. In part II, we discuss what we term "legacy sequels" or the sequel that comes decades afer the original. We explore whether the audiences are demanding these sequels or if the studios are pushing them.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Nicole, Adam, Garret, Justin, and Lexy discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the trend of capitalizing on nostalgia in movies. In part I, we discuss the movie in comparison to the original. We mostly enjoyed the movied but found the script lacking.
Stay tuned for part II where we dive into selling audiences nostalgia and IP.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Garret and Nicole discuss IF and how imaginary friends, and imagination in general, can help get us through the dark times. Unlike most critics, we both liked the movie and its exploration of coping through loss, lonelieness, aging, and the other trials life throws our ways. Yes. There's a lot of crying.
Garret recommends self care and Dr. Seuss. Nicole recommends Drop Dead Fred and Hadestown.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Stacy and Nicole discuss I Saw The TV Glow and the beauty of using allegory to tell a trans story. Stacy relates to the suffocation of suburbia where Nicole enjoys a unique story told in a unique way. While enjoying the movie for different reasons, we discuss our alternate views on the ending. We discuss the setting of the late 90s and the understanding of transgenderism in that time period for mainstream suburbia.
Nicole recommends Philosphy Tube's I Read The Most Misunderstood Philosopher in the World. Stacy recommends getting out into nature.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Lexy and Nicole discuss Challengers and the dearth of fun sexiness in movies and tv. We disagree on the craft and entertaiment value of the film. We talk about how flirtiness and light-hearted sexy times have gone out of style and why people might want it back.
Lexy recommends Joy Ride. Nicole recommends The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole discuss The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and how we think about the morality of war. We find the movie entertaining but technically not particularly adept. We talk about the morality of war in general and of the world wars tackling what it means to have rules of war.
Justin recommends Shogun and X-Men '97 . Nicole recommends Brooklyn 99 and Who Killed the Video Store.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Adam and Nicole discuss Civil War and the movie's meditation on war photojournalism. We appreciated all the technical aspects of the movie, editing, cinematography, soundtrack, and sound design. All of the elements worked together to create a nuanced, almost meditative view on the role of photojournalism in war reporting. The movie tackles the inherent contradiction in taking a great photo of something horrific.
Adam recommends Middlemarch and Orphan. Nicole recommends Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Nicole, Lexy, and Stacy tackle the Oscars covering costume, production design, song and animated films. We share our thoughts on the nominees and the films we saw in 2023.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Nicole, Lexy, Justin, and Stacy tackles the Oscars covering the best performances-- supporting actor/actress and leading actor/actress. We share our thoughts on the nominees and the films we saw in 2023.
Nicole, Lexy, Justin, and Stacy tackles the Oscars covering Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Picture. We share our thoughts on the nominees and the films we saw in 2023.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Christopher and Nicole with special guest, Dan, discuss The Farewell and the issues that come along with generational conflicts that cross international boundaries as well. We disagree about the actual quality of the filmmaking particularly the bizarre score, Dan discusses the dissonance between what was considered funny by Asian vs non-Asian audiences, and the tension between the families who emigrate and the families who stay. It's worth hearing the real story from This American Life. For more on Lulu Wang, check out this article from The Atlantic.
Nicole recommends early Ang Lee: The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman. Christopher recommends Star Trek: Discovery.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Nicole and Stacy talk with Sari about Get Out, the fear of being black in white spaces, white fragility, and horror movie tropes. Mentioned in the episode is a an interview with Jordan Peele on the Nerdist podcast.
Recommendations this week: This Is Us and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Garret and Nicole gush over Wonka and the movie's whimisical and joyful pure imagination. We love the cast, the costumes, the sets, and the world the movie created. We literally tear up talking about getting enveloped by this movie. We talk about the value of having genuine emotional experiences at the movies without having to tackle all the world's ills.
Garret recommends reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory out loud to another person. Nicole recommends While You Were Sleeping.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Adam and Nicole discuss Napoleon and what makes for a good war movie. We don't know what this movie was about and found it a failure of a narrative. Beyond that, the acting and casting choices didn't work, the soundtrack made no sense, and only the costumes were worthy of praise. We discuss what makes for a good war movie including having stakes, an understanding of the cause, and perspectives from among the ranks. Also you actually have to have two armies fighting in the movie for it to be a war movie.
Adam recommends The Leftovers. Nicole recommends Memphis Belle.
Garret, Stacy, and Nicole discuss the Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes after also reading the book. As fans of the Hunger Games, we all enjoyed the movie and the look back at how Katniss and Peeta's games came to be. We praise the cast diversity, but disagree on the success of the rewind back to earlier times presented in the movie. We discuss what it means to play the Hunger Games and to win them. We dig into how our backgrounds and personalities guide our chosen strategies.
Garret recommends seeing the movie again. Stacy recommends catching up on history. Nicole recommends The Power of One.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole discuss Rustin and the intricacies of putting together social moviements. We highly enjoyed the performances, particularly Colman Domingo who captured the charisma and passion of Bayard Rustin. We talk about the challenges, the infighting, and the varying approaches to building a social movement.
Justin recommends Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Nicole recommends Nature's Premium aloe cream.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole with special guest Rosebud Sioux tribe member Marietta discuss Killers of the Flower Moon and American Indian stories that aren't getting told. We disagree on our enjoyment of a three and a half hour movie but praise the performances. We wish the story focused more on the Osage.
We have a wide ranging discussion on American Indian culture and history. We learn about Maria Tallchief, prima ballerina from the Osage tribe. Marietta also recommends checking out the Gathering of Nations in the spring in New Mexico. We discuss the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, an issue that touched Marietta personally with the murder of her great niece's best friend Kyla Red Bear. We also cover the residential schools and the repatriation of american indian remains.
Marietta recommends Reservation Dogs and Dark Winds. Justin recommends Prey and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Nicole recommends going to the Renwick Gallery for the Sharing Honors and Burdens exhibit.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Adam and Lexy discuss The Exorcist: Believer and whether being possessed by the devil still carries the same scare factor as it did when the original movie was made. Both hosts find the new movie fails to make good use of a legacy character and falls flat in the scare factor. We discuss if possession by the devil remains a timely fear versus other forms of possession. We find a known factor makes the fear much more unlikely.
Adam recommends author Ashley Herring Blake. Lexy recommends Buttermilk by Sam.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Lexy and Nicole discuss Dumb Money and the difficulties most of us face running our investments. Lexy liked the movie better than Nicole who could not get past the central messaging of bad financial advice. We find the movie does a good job bringing audiences back into the world of the pandemic and describes the financial techniques and the basics of reddit well but some of the characters fell short. We discuss how the american economy has forced us all to be investors without the necessary training. We also note how this was an example of online life becoming in real life.
Lexy recommends Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Nicole recommends You're Wrong About's series on the DC Snipers.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Picking up where they left in the discussion of the male backlash again Barbie, Stacy and Nicole talk about how the movie stays away from using the word feminism but that the patriarchy is bad for both genders. We also discuss the consumerism aspect of Barbie.
Stacy recommends Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Nicole recommends season 16 of Business Wars: Hasbro vs Mattel.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Stacy and Nicole discuss Barbie and the movie's message about The Patriarchy. The first of a two part episode, we praise the movie for its sets, costumes, performances, and its honor of Barbie. We get into the male backlash against the movie and how men prefer toxic masculinity to any alternative presented on the left. Stay tuned for the second half!
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole discuss Oppenheimer and the issues around nuclear proliferation. We disagree on how much we liked the movie. We enjoyed the parts about the bomb and the sound design but disagreed on the later segments featuring Robert Downey Jr. We talk about the benefits and risks of nuclear proliferation, and Japan's special status as the only country to experience a nuclear bomb.
Justin recommends Hardcore History: Supernova in the East and Peaky Blinders. Nicole recommends Copenhagen.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
- Note Lise Meitner's name was incorrectly pronounced in the episode, but her story is very important to keep in mind about how women's contributions to science are erased.
Lexy, Nicole, and special guest Monique discuss Joy Ride and the unique experience of Korean adoptees growing up in white families. We disagree on the humor based on personal taste and our appreciation of raunchy comedy. We all enjoyed the more serious and heartfelt aspects of film. We delve into a discussion about the experiences of Korean adoptees especially the difficulties of interracial adoption and how that affects identity.
Lexy recommends Nimona, Nicole recommends Uncoupled, and Monique recommends Cassandra in Reverse.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Adam and Nicole talk Indiana Jones, reviewing Dial of Destiny and the franchise as a whole. We give our definitive rankings on the five films and talk about how Indiana Jones has weathered the changes in movies while staying surprisingly consistent over time. At heart, the franchise is a swashbuckling adventure featuring a likable hero, a rare commodity these days.
Adam recommends the Insidious franchise and Nicole recommends Vienna Blood.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Lexy and Nicole discuss Elemental and the stereotypical immigrant story. Lexy liked the movie better than Nicole despite agreeing the plot and writing were clunky. Performances by the actors elevated the poor material. The story sticks to a very stereotypical immigrant story casting the first generation american child against the prescribed path of her immigrant parents. It does little to tread any new territory beyond the basics.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Nicole recommends Zootopia. Lexy recommends the Litter Robot.
Justin, Stacy, and Nicole discuss the Miles Morales Spider-Verse and Spider-Man's introduction in the 1960s as the first modern superhero. We are blown away by the animation first and foremost and the sheer creativity on display. We talk about the origins of Spider-Man as a novel character being a relatable teen and discuss how new Spider "people" fit into a modernized version of a superhero.
Justin recommends Everything Everywhere All At Once, Stacy recommends The Blackening, and Nicole recommends Miracle Workers.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Garret and Nicole discuss The Little Mermaid and the story's place in the queer canon. We both enjoyed the film, while not necessarily agreeing on the need for a remake. We dissect some of the crucial changes that fundamentally alter the message of the movie particularly the changes to Ursula. We discuss the origins of the story that is itself an analogy for queer love and the queer coding in the 1989 original.
Garret recommends the original Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. Nicole recommends Franz Kafka and The Trial.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Garret and Nicole discuss Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret the film adaptation of Judy Blume's beloved novel. We praise the movie for its heartfelt emotion, never straying into saccharine messaging or melodrama. We both agree Kathy Bates was miscast. We discuss the horrors of puberty and some of the movie's themes about a religious upbringing.
Garret recommends Dear Mr. Henshaw. Nicole recommends a menstrual cup.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin, Adam, and Nicole discuss Renfield and the enduring legacy of Dracula. We enjoyed the movie's fresh take on Dracula, one of fiction's most enduring characters. We found the movie funny and the characters appealing. We talk about why Dracula continues to be a popular figure on film going through some history and canon with a larger discussion about the appeal of vampires.
Justin recommends Invicible. Adam recommends Weather Man. Nicole recommends book and movie About a Boy.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Garret and Nicole review Duneons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and the importance of role-playing games. We were both delighted by the movie, particularly the ensemble cast and the wonderful world building. We discuss the merits of building commmunity in role-playing games and the benefit of hobbies in general.
Garret recommends trying Dungeouns and Dragons or an escape room. Nicole recommends the movie Tetris.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Adam and Nicole talk all things Scream. We give our rankings for the six released movie and discuss the franchise's endurance and it's ability to shift with the times.
Adam recommends True DectiveSeason 2 and The Dry by Jane Harper. Nicole recommends Mythic Quest.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole discuss Cocaine Bear and America's War on Drugs. We both enjoyed the B movieness of it all, the diversity of the cast, and its 80s authenticity. We segue into a discussion on the harms of the War on Drugs and why America can't seem to reform drug policy based on evidence.
Nicole recommends Justified. Justin recommends Ozark.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Lexy and Nicole discuss M3GAN and the costs of relying on A.I. for companionship, particularly on childhood development. We were surprised how much we liked the movie and impressed with the creation of M3GAN technologically. We discussed how relying on screens/technology for our relationship needs it degrades our emotional well-being.
Lexy recommends The Devil in Me. Nicole recommends The Two-Family House.
Adam and Nicole discuss Babylon and the sacrifices they have to make for MtM listeners. The movie is a joyless, scatalogical slog excepting the scenes of film being made. We discuss who deserves to get this level of creative control in a movie and where future auteurs will be developed.
Adam recommends Tar. Nicole recommends The Take's The Dragon Lady Trope.
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Stacy and Nicole discuss Empire of Light and how movie theaters help make the world more bearable. We find the movie beautifully crafted and acted, but lacking in subletly. We're unsure how effective the portrayal of mental illness and May/December romance works for the movie. We also discuss how movies create community and joy, but escapism can only go so far.
Stacy recommends . Nicole recommends
Website Store YouTube
Facebook Group Page
Lexy, Stacy and Nicole discuss She Said and the aftermath of the #metoo movement. We found the movie started slow and a bit stilted but overall the strong performances from the entire cast elevated the movie. We discuss what changes have been made post #metoo. We're skeptical about how men have changed their attitudes and behavior and also cover some real changes that have been made to employment law around salaries and the use of non-disclosure agreements.
Stacy unrecommends Mash, Nicole recommends No Nonsense Yoga Waistband tights, and Lexy recommends Guilty Pleasures.
Website Store YouTube Twitter
Facebook Group Page
Garret and Nicole discuss Triangle of Sadness. We disagree on the value of the movie and about anti-capitalism. We get into a generational debate about what it means to eat the rich.
Nicole recommends The Exterminating Angel and Garret recommends The Square, After the Dark, and Anne Frank's poetry.
Website Store YouTube Twitter
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole discuss Till and the many paths people take to activism. We appreciated the colorful pallette and rich interiors and the decision not to show violence. We cover Mamie's grief journey and how standing up for her son naturally led to standing up for civil rights.
Justin recommends Netflix movie The Harder They Fall, and Nicole recommends the podcast Sentimental Garbage.
Website Store YouTube Twitter
Facebook Group Page
Justin and Nicole discuss Nope and when it's ok to gawk at the spectacle and when we should look away. We appreciate the cinematography and the carefully crafted details Jordan Peele adds to his films. We discuss the line between voyeurism that leads to negative societal impact and the things we need to look at in order to create social change.
Justin recommends Lovecraft Country on HBO and Nicole recommends Dopesick on Hulu.
Website Store YouTube Twitter
Facebook Group Page
Adam and Nicole discuss Elvis and how the music industry is plagued by shady managers and unfair contracts even to this day. We both appreciated Austin Butler’s performance as Elvis but found the early part of the movie technically problematic. We delve into how prevalent shady managers and unfair contracts still are in the music industry.
Adam recommends Lapvona by Otessa Moshfegh and Nicole recommends American Scandal's series on payola.
Website Store YouTube Twitter
Facebook Group Page
Stacy and Nicole discuss Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and the complications of sex work. We were both disarmed by Daryl McCormack's performance and appreciated the lighting and art direction. We discuss sex tourism for women and the how sex work fits into caring professions in general.
Stacy recommends The Girlfriend Experience and Nicole recommends The Sessions.
Garret and Nicole discuss Fire Island, how well the #Pride and Prejudice adaptation worked and how gay hierarchies work in real life. We enjoyed the comedy and soundtrack, but not the romance and found the writing weak in places. We talk throught the racial and money divide in the gay community, and how oppressed groups create their own systems of oppression.
Garret recommends Pride and the Disney shorts for Pride. Nicole recommends 4th Man Out.
Website Store YouTube Twitter
Facebook Group Page
Lexy and Nicole discuss Men, whether the movie was actually scary, toxic masculinity, and the roles men force on women. We criticize the movie for not really understanding the subject matter and not capturing women's perspectives. Watch Promising Young Woman instead.
Lexy recommends An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. Nicole recommends Lessons in Chemistry. Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
What does it mean to be a villain? Movie villains have gone from supporting characters in classic hero’s tales to protagonists in their own movies and franchises. Join the Movies That Matter podcast team in a discussion about the rise of villain-centered movies. The panel will dive into the trend, discussing the values and morals reflected in the sub-genre and how it relates to society today.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
A departure from the usual fare, listen to the AwesomeCon panel participants plan for the presentation. Nicole, Christopher, Stacy, Lexy and Garret discuss villain-centered movies and what the core coverage should be for the panel. Come see us live at AwesomeCon on Saturday 8/21! https://awesome-con.com/tickets/
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/V0fO410Tcco
The entire Impact 10 team presents sports movies that feature someone breaking into a sport. Lexy discusses Cool Runnings, Christopher covers Chariots of Fire, Garret tackles Million Dollar Baby, Stacy takes on Bend It Like Beckham, and Nicole talks A League of Their Own. The team discusses why we like sports movies and the Olympics, what it means to break barriers in sports now and in the future, and reconciling an unconventional identity with being an athlete.
Watch our latest Impact 10 on YouTube.
The entire Impact 10 team presents sports movies that feature someone breaking into a sport. Lexy discusses Cool Runnings, Christopher covers Chariots of Fire, Garret tackles Million Dollar Baby, Stacy takes on Bend It Like Beckham, and Nicole talks A League of Their Own. The team discusses why we like sports movies and the Olympics, what it means to break barriers in sports now and in the future, and reconciling an unconventional identity with being an athlete.
Impact 10 episode featuring Nicole, Christopher, and Garret discussing movies that gave us hope. Nicole covers Stand and Deliver and the hope that potential is never truly lost. Christopher covers Slumdog Millionaire and the hope that personal struggle will lead to positive outcomes. Garret covers Erin Brockovich and the hope that corporations can be held accountable. The discussion covers how perseverance, community, and defying expectations lead to change.
Garret recommends The Shawshank Redemption, Nicole recommends the It Gets Better Project, and Christopher recommends Die Hard.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Garret and Nicole discuss Sound of Metal, how the beautiful cinematography balanced strong themes, how well the movie captures addiction, and how much the movie showcases deaf individuals in their normal lives. We get into some information about cochlear implants and the controversy among deaf people. Read how Riz Ahmed describes his experience learning about Deaf culture.
Garret recommends learning how to spell your name in ASL. Nicole recommends Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Impact 10 with Stacy, Nicole, Christopher, and Lexy discusses indigenous cinema. Stacy covers westerns and The Searchers, Nicole gives a short retrospective on American Indian cinema and Smoke Signals, Christopher talks Maori culture and Whale Rider, and Lexy discusses Disney and Moana. We are joined by documentary filmmaker Suree Towfighnia in the discussion.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Suree's recommended links
Website: http://www.sureetowfighnia.com/
Standing Silent Nation 2007 -- a Lakota family asserts their sovereignty by growing industrial hemp. (screened on PBS POV): https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C3922902/standing-silent-nation
Crying Earth Rise Up, 2015--this is about water protection and the Lakota fight to stop uranium mining in the Great Plains and Black Hills. (screens on PBS): https://www.der.org/crying-earth-rise-up/
The Lakota Media Project is the organization Suree mentors and co-founded. They have a page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakotamediaproject
Other recommendations:
Reel Injun: https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/reel-injun/
Thunderheart: https://www.amazon.com/Thunderheart-Val-Kilmer/dp/B001AR96BG
Incident at Oglala: https://www.amazon.com/Incident-Oglala-Leonard-Peltier-Story/dp/B0001FVDI2
AUDIO ONLY VERSION. See our YouTube Channel for the video.
Impact 10 with Nicole, Stacy, Garret, Christopher, and Lexy covers movies that taught us to be afraid. We highlight a selection of our own then discuss the role of fear in movies.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Impact 10 with Nicole, Stacy, Garret, Christopher, and Lexy covers movies that taught us to be afraid. We highlight a selection of our own then discuss the role of fear in movies.
AUDIO ONLY VERSION
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/Bl1nqRmFpAw
This Impact 10 episode features Stacy, Lexy, Nicole and Garret discussing Queer Cinema. Stacy tackles award winners, Lexy talks activism and politics, Nicole covers AIDS and Garret discusses culture. We wade into how queer cinema and queer stories have changed over time.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Introducing Impact 10, a video series from Movies that Matter highlighting the movies that helped change the world.
Website
Store
YouTube
Facebook group page
Movie that Matter presents My Favorite Alien, the video panel created for Awesome Con online. Stacy, Garret, Lexy, and Christopher chooses a favorite movie alien to visit earth and explain the benefits to humanity.
Join us live on Saturday, May 2 at 3:45 for our panel, My Favorite Alien. Stacy, Garret, Lexy, and Christopher will present which alien they'd most like to visit earth. We'll be available on the live stream to chat.
https://www.facebook.com/AwesomeConDC/
Adam and Nicole discuss The Hunt, how the movie entertains as horror, but fails on satire, the ridiculousness of the whole controversy, some of our favorite satires, and how we think the coronovirus pandemic will affect the current political dynamic. Check out Citizen Ruth and Idiocracy. Read a timeline of the controversy from Vulture.
Adam recommends Blue Ruin and Green Room. Nicole recommends The Last Supper.
Jen and Nicole discuss The Invisible Man, how effective the technique was in creating a scary movie, how we appreciate the focus on the emotional trauma rather than the physical trauma of domestic abuse, and how we feel about the revenge fantasy of domestic violence movies. We question why domestic violence hasn't had its #MeToo moment. Shout out to @lulamaybelle for her commentary on male critics. Check out the landmark movie The Burning Bed.
Jen recommends the pantheon of abuse movies, The Burning Bed, Enough, Sleeping With The Enemy, and What's Love Got To Do With It. Nicole recommends the Catch and Kill podcast.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garrett E and Nicole discuss The Photograph, our differing opinions on the movie, what it takes to sell a romance and breakup, and the difference between what we're told and we're shown in the movie. We strongly disagree on whether the character's lack of good qualities made their romance unwatchable. Check out the article on how the movie was filmed.
Nicole recommends Jumping the Broom and the author Dorothy West and her book, The Wedding. Garrett recommends his curated list on films on love:
- Casablanca
- Brief Encounter
- Cold War
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Unfaithful
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Blue is the Warmest Color
- La La Land
- Her
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy, Lexy, and Nicole discuss Birds of Prey, how delightful we found the film, and how much better we think the female led movies in the DCU are than in Marvel or the male side of DCU. We enjoy all the aspects that made this a movie by women for women. Check out the review we covered in Slate.
Lexy recommends Michelle Khare on YouTube. Nicole recommends She Said, the book about how the Weinstein story got made.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Dolittle, how neither of us managed to power through the movie, the utterly bizarre accents of the live and voice actors, and the meaning animals have in our lives as adults and children. We recommend some of our favorite animal stories from childhood like Is Your Mama a Llama? and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Garret recommends His Dark Materials the books and on HBO. Nicole recommends the Song Exploder episode on Closing Time.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Like a Boss, how it's possible to make that unfunny a comedy with that cast, how the movie is both formulaic and misunderstands both women and the beauty industry, and how the movie should have tackled real issues in selling beauty to women. We find the movie tone-deaf in understanding the actual beauty industry and mining the depths of women's relationship to make up. Catch up on beauty podcast faves Fat Mascara and The Beauty Brains.
Stacy recommends The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish and A Black Lady Sketch Show. Nicole recommends the panel discussion on deaths of despair by leading economists.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Christopher and Nicole discuss 1917, the incredible craft of the movie, the balance it achieved in presenting the beautiful and the grotesque, the over-saturation of World War II as the "good war" versus other conflicts. We are happy to see such a beautifully crafted movie about World War I. Revisit George Carlin's routine on how we've dehumanized the words for battle trauma.
Christopher recommends Paths of Glory and When We Were Soldiers. Nicole recommends Regeneration by Pat Barker.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Christopher and Nicole discuss Queen & Slim, hotly debate the character of Queen/Angela, how much we appreciate the cinematography and music, and how well the movie explores the black experience. We debate whether the couple would have ended up dead if they had handled the cop differently. Read why the director and writer don't like the calling the movie a Bonnie and Clyde story.
Christopher recommends The Water Dancer. Nicole recommends Joan Rivers' stand up.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Knives Out, how much we loved the fun comedy and the social commentary, the camera techniques that fed into the theme of the film, and the complications of inherited wealth. The movie takes equal opportunity pot shots at the wealthy. For more ensemble mystery movie fun, check out the original Murder on the Orient Express.
Garret recommends Sleuth, Clue, and The Westing Game. Nicole recommends Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and how overall it left us both cold, the movie's strange choice in telling the story of Lloyd instead of Mr. Rogers, and how the movie fails in every way to understand the dynamic of children estranged from a parent. We vastly prefer the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor. We get personal on the topic of estrangement and forgiveness. For further reading, issendai has research on estranged parent forums. Also check out the article that kicked off the movie.
Stacy recommends the Twitter account @mrrogersquotes. Nicole recommends Blindspotting.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Adam and Nicole discuss Dr. Sleep, our overall enjoyment of the film as we pick apart some of the flaws, some of the differences between the book and the film, how quality horror connects with us, and the film's treatment of alcoholism. Read how Mike Flanagan discussed the film with Stephen King.
Adam recommends Leaving Las Vegas.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Jen and Nicole discuss Harriet, how the movie fell flat despite excellent performances by the cast, the serious problem with the black slave catcher character who was a grotesque stereotype, and how badly the supernatural element undercut the true heroism of Harriet Tubman. Ultimately, we're let down by the portrayal of Harriet Tubman's heroism as supernatural in place of a true understanding of the woman herself.
Compare the movie with the real history from Slate. Catch up on the controversies surrounding the movie.
Jen recommends Drunk History - Harriet Tubman Leads an Army of Bad Btches*. Nicole recommends a foot hammock for more comfortable airplane trips (we don't get any money if you click the link).
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole Funari was interviewed in the Washington City Paper on making Movies That Matter. Read the article here.
Nicole and Garrett discuss Bad Times at the El Royale, how the quality of the cinematic elements don’t match the poor plot, the fact that the horror genre is making the highest quality films these days, and how genre films get snubbed by the Oscars. Read how The Guardian coined the sub-genre “post-horror” to describe the flourish of creativity happening in horror.
Garrett recommends Free Fire and Mandy.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret and Nicole discuss Judy, our differing opinions on how much we liked it, how well we think Renee Zellweger captured Judy Garland, how and why Judy Garland became a gay icon, and how camp is attracting more people. Read J. Bryan Lowder's meditation on whether gay culture is leaving camp behind. Nicole's research included this article from the BBC on the evolving role of Judy Garland in the gay community and this one from Pop Matters on what makes a gay icon.
Garret recommends Culture Clash: The Making of Gay Sensibility, Enough Rope by Dorothy Parker, The Harder They Fall: Celebrities Tell Their Real Life Stories of Addiction and Recovery. Nicole recommends Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Lexy and Nicole discuss Hustlers, the problem of not being willing to make the main character a calculating criminal, the portrayal of the dancers as athletes-- not sex objects, and how we think about exploitation in terms of crime and sex work. Read the article from The Cut that inspired the movie. We hearken back to our discussion of Widows and how perception of crime depends on who's perpetrating it. Listen to Lorene Scafaria talk about making the movie. Check out the small study on the comparison of sex work in the UK versus other low-skilled jobs. Also listen to Cecilia and Jessica and the Bunny Ranch from the Criminal podcast.
Nicole recommends the podcast, The Oath. Lexy recommends Lily Singh's A Little Late with Lily Singh.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Lexy and Nicole discuss Brittany Runs A Marathon, the movie's relatable story of Brittany's struggle, our appreciation for Jillian Bell's non-stereotypical Hollywood body, and the body positivity movement and it's issues with weight loss. Read about some of the flak the movie caught for its weight loss story line in Quartzy and Runners World. Also read Shauntay Snell's story of being heckled during the NYC marathon.
Lexy recommends Jazzmyne Robbins on Buzzfeed. Nicole recommends two This American Life episodes: If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say, SAY IT IN ALL CAPS and Tell Me I'm Fat.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Where'd You Go Bernadette, our wildly divergent opinions on the movie, the comparison to the book, and the theme of re-finding your passion late in life and how it relates to the podcast we make. We discuss the juxtaposition of analog and digital creativity.
Garret recommends Death of an Innocent, the original article that inspired Into the Wild, and Dead Poet's Society. Nicole recommends Madame Secretary. And both Garret and Nicole recommend finding your passion.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the more meditative style of the movie, the overbearing sound design, feet-- all the shots of feet, our differing views on Cliff as a killer, and the misogyny surrounding the movie. Ultimately, we rule that this wasn't so much a case of misogyny given his previous work, but still an issue with unconscious bias in how the women in the movie are portrayed. We disagree on whether Cliff killed his wife, what do you think? Read Dana Stevens review from Slate who also finds men doing things less interesting that the director does. Also, refresh your memory on Tarantino's hostile response to being questioned about not giving Sharon Tate many lines.
Stacy recommends That's Not Me. Nicole recommends watching the new seas of Veronica Mars along with her.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Christopher and Nicole with special guest, Dan, discuss The Farewell and the issues that come along with generational conflicts that cross international boundaries as well. We disagree about the actual quality of the filmmaking particularly the bizarre score, Dan discusses the dissonance between what was considered funny by Asian vs non-Asian audiences, and the tension between the families who emigrate and the families who stay. It's worth hearing the real story from This American Life. For more on Lulu Wang, check out this article from The Atlantic.
Nicole recommends early Ang Lee: The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman. Christopher recommends Star Trek: Discovery.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Midsommar, the superior craft of the film in terms of cinematography, art direction, and acting, but the overall letdown of the story, the very realistic portrayal of grief, and what does a garden level bad boyfriend really deserve? As a current and a former grad student, we're here to tell you that there was absolutely nothing correct in the movie about being a grad student or writing a thesis. For more backstory on how the movie was made, check out this article from the LA Times.
Garret recommends The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Nicole recommends support groups, namely The Compassionate Friends.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Adam and Nicole discuss Yesterday, how determined we were not to be charmed by it and how utterly we failed, how we felt the film struck the right balance between high concept and fairy tale, and the central message of the movie: is it better to achieve greatness and die young or live a long life of mediocrity. We don't entirely agree with this article that the Beatles aren't timeless or that the music industry ignores great talent.
Adam recommends the Deadwood movie and Oblivion. Nicole recommends the Miley Cyrus episode of Black Mirror.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Lexy and Nicole discuss Late Night, the genius of Emma Thompson, the particular care the movie showed to costuming, differing roles of women in the workplace, and being the diversity hire. The movie doesn't pull its punches on diversity hiring in contrast to undeserved success by nepotism. The movie is is a funny comedy with real heart.
Lexy recommends YouTuber (and forthcoming female late night host) Lily Singh. Nicole recommends Much Ado About Nothing.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Rocketman, how happy we were to see an old-fashioned musical, the deft camerawork and choreography, and the journey to recovery. Read about Egerton’s transformation into Elton John. Also, learn more about how the overdose to concert scene was created.
Garret recommends Me and The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Nicole recommends A Very English Scandal.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Poms, how the performances elevated a poor script, female companionship and the value of intergenerational friendships, and the tired of message of female empowerment through other women. We wonder who the movie was meant for and why any woman needs to be reminded that she needs women in her life. Check out the amazing senior dancers of the NBA, the Wizdom.
Stacy recommends the podcast, Thirteen Minutes to the Moon. Nicole recommends the Omega Paw self-cleaning litter box. Be sure to check out StacyErinMoore.com and catch up with Stacy.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Ugly Dolls, the quirky and fun animation, how Janelle Monae stole the movie, the state of the animated musical, and how the movie’s message about what it means to be considered defective makes a good analogy for how deaf people have created their own flourishing culture. We cover a little bit of the history and richness of Deaf culture, American Sign Language, and Garret’s experiences at Gallaudet University. Read more about audism and the supression of ASL here and also the medical establishment’s continued incompetence in treating deaf children. Check out Nyle DiMarco taking shirt off to talk about all the issues deaf people face when confronted by police. Also see Garret’s article on treating deaf patients as a psychotherapist.
Garret recommends the books A Journey Into the Deaf-World, Deaf Like Me, and Not Quite Narwhal and the app The ASL App. Nicole recommends The Invisible Library.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss High Life, how wrong the critics were to praise the art of the film and ignore all its plot and thematic flaws, how little we can say about the movie because it made no sense, and the movie’s discomforting portrayal of sex including rape and masturbation. We discuss some trigger warnings but prefer you not see the movie at all.
Garret recommends the book Dead Man Walking: The Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate and Annihilation. Nicole recommends maternity pajamas. Even if you’re not pregnant.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garrett and Nicole discuss The Best of Enemies, the decidedly ho hum film-making, the ways that white people can be race baited against their economic interests, and whether racism is so baked into American it can never be eradicated. We veer into a discussion about casting actors with disabilities and whether it “diminishes acting.” We celebrate Claudette Colvin, who predated Rosa Parks and was not considered the appropriate face of the movement.
Garrett recommends Hotel Mumbai.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes. Also check out cinemababel.com for more of Garret’s reviews.
Adam and Nicole discuss Captive State, how much they enjoyed the movie contrary to most critics, the pleasures of a plot driven movie, our desire for authoritarian rule, and our unwillingness to confront our own worst tendencies. The movie explores people’s inability to put the greater good over their own emotions because of the tendency to complacency. Adam draws out this subtler thread in the movie’s treatment of climate change. We commend the film for not showing the typical plot line of humans banded against the enemy rather our own selfish desires to protect ourselves. Listen to Radiolab’s discussion of Pew Research on democracy and read about how the Trump administration shut down EPA’s environmental justice office.
Adam recommends Us. Nicole recommends Uncover Season 1 on Escaping NXIVM.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Lexy and Nicole discuss Captain Marvel, disagree on Brie Larson’s performance, the movie’s place in the Marvel MCU, compare it to 2017’s Wonder Woman, and discuss how Disney tackles feminism. We talk about how ultimately the movie fails to create a fully developed female character and that drags down any message it’s sending. Naturally the trolls came out of the woodwork on this one; read how content managers are struggling to handle the issue.
Lexy recommends My Hero Academia. Nicole recommends the Call Your Girlfriend episode The Women’s March (or why the only drama problem is no drama at all) and Fat Mascara’s episode on vaginal rejuvenation.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Christopher and Nicole discuss Isn’t It Romantic, how the musical numbers were the highlight of the film, what makes a good romantic comedy, and the dangerous myths perpetuated by Hollywood about love. We talk about how the movie often undercuts the very points it’s trying to make and fails to tackle the actual problematic messages in romantic comedies. See if you agree or disagree with the CW’s list of most romantic movies. Check out one of the funnier take downs of unrealistic apartments, men with pillows.
Christopher recommends Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Lorena. Nicole recommends watching a classic romantic comedy.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Jen and Nicole discuss What Men Want, how they actually enjoyed the movie, the surprising comic genius of Erykah Badu, and the difficulties of trying to survive being a woman in a boy’s club, and how it’s workplace comedy a la Jerry Maguire rather than a rom-com a la What Women Want. They disagree with critics who say the movie had no message and think the movie is being judged too harshly. And if Taraji P. Henson could share her skincare line, Jen would appreciate it.
Jen recommends Sex Education and Nicole recommends Russian Doll.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Serenity, how thoroughly we disliked the movie, the lack of anything to recommend it as a film (really, nothing), the false portrayal of domestic violence, and whether it’s ok to kill an abuser.
Garret recommends Ex Machina and Westworld. Nicole recommends Moon.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Garret S and Nicole discuss Escape Room, the cinematic failings of the movie in creating tension, the problem of survivor’s guilt, and trauma and post traumatic-stress disorder. We commend the set design and light touch with CGI. We also think about how the movie plays into gender stereotypes of the different ways men and women approach problem solving (and decides women are better).
Garret recommends The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, The Survivor’s Club: The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life, and adult coloring books. Nicole recommends treating furloughed workers with sensitivity.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garrett discuss Vice, differing opinions on the quality of the movie, the incredible transformation by Christian Bale and the rest of the cast’s ability to capture real figures, and our experiences of the Bush administration. Follow our wide-ranging discussion on politics and how Bush and 9/11 got us to where we are today. Read Garrett’s review of the movie on Cinema Babel and follow up on the controversy over the credits scene. Check out The Hill’s argument in favor of exile as punishment.
Nicole recommends the podcast, The Dream. Garrett recommends Buying the War, a Bill Moyers’ documentary, and The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Jen discuss Widows, the stellar performances by the entire cast (especially the sweet-faced Olivia), our interpretations of critical moments in the film like the ending, differing opinions on the son subplot, and break down the movie’s criticism of corruption inherent in Chicago’s institutions.
Jen recommends Twelve Years a Slave.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garret discuss Boy Erased, the need for a trigger warning for the very graphic rape scene, Nicole Kidman in one of her best roles, the toll of taking on heavy emotional content, and how we’d rewrite the ending. We tackle how we deal with parents who won’t accept us and how damaging it is to be disowned. We also discuss gay conversion therapy and how useless and harmful it is. Read Josh and Lolly Weed’s moving post about the dissolution of their marriage as they accepted it was impossible to live life as a gay man in a straight marriage.
Garret recommends the book Boy Erased, The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World, and Prayers for Bobby. Nicole recommends But I’m a Cheerleader.
We’re excited! Movies That Matter was named 33 on Feedspot’s Top 40 Movies Podcasts You Must Subscribe and Listen To.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garret discuss A Star is Born, the skill of the direction, the stellar vocal and acting performances, and how talent relates to fame. Check out this article from Vox defining a four quadrant movie.
Garret recommends Lady Gaga’s acoustic performances and checking out the career progression of Bradley Cooper. Nicole recommends the biopic loosely based on Carole King called Grace of My Heart.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
For our special extended Black Panther episode Nicole and Stacy switch off hosting the discussion with Sarí and Christopher. We discuss the merits of Chadwick Boseman, the power of Disney and representation, the badassery of the women in the movie, tradition and family, growing up black in America, and the historical Black Panthers. Check out the Rita Moreno interview that talks about the importance of properly filming a dance scene (or an action sequence!) and director Ryan Coogler describing how he filmed the action sequence in the Korean club. Read the case for Black Panther being required viewing for white people, but maybe don't see Wolf Warrior.
Christopher recommends reading the newest Black Panther comics by Ta-Nehisi Coates and also his book, We Were Eight Years in Power. Sarí recommends Chris Rock's newest special, Tambourine, and Nicole recommends Moonlight.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garret discuss White Boy Rick, the movie’s failure to tell a good story, and outgrowth of the war on drugs from the 1980s crack epidemic. Read the Atavist article for an overview of the true story of Rick Wershe Jr.
Garret recommends Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. Nicole recommends seeing Hamilton.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Christopher discuss Operation Finale, antisemitism, and the “banality of evil”. The Columbia Journalism Review covers the public outrage over the New York Times story on a neo-Nazi. Hear Jason Kessler profess that he’s like totally not a Nazi on a terrible NPR interview. Christopher misspoke— Letter to a Christian Nation is by Sam Harris. Read Martin Niemoller’s famous words about the dangers of not speaking out.
Christopher recommends Atomic Blonde. Nicole recommends Conspiracy.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garrett discuss Crazy Rich Asians, the movie's charm as a rom-com that still has depth, the dismantling of Asian American stereotypes, and old money vs. the nouvea riche. For more from Garrett, read his review on Cinema Babel. For differing perspectives on watching Singapore on film, read Stephanie Foo's Vox article along with Kirsten Han's article in The Entertainer.
Garrett recommends Searching and Nicole recommends singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garret discuss Christopher Robin, disagree on the charm of the movie, and talk about the realities of work. Check out Vox for the overuse of lens flare. Fact check-- most people only work about three hours a day. Also in this episode, Garret describes how the 100 Acre Wood characters are used to illustrate various mood and personality disorders in psychology.
Garret recommends Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction by Matthew Kelly and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Nicole recommends Being Erica now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Christopher discuss Eighth Grade, how overrated it is, and the failure to write a complex young woman. Nicole prefers Welcome to the Dollhouse which has a more believable central character. Nicole also can't believe anyone would describe Kayla as smart or intuitive. Mentioned in this episode, Lindsay Ellis's take down of our culture's disdain for teenage girls.
Christopher recommends Won't You Be My Neighbor. Nicole recommends The Gift of Fear.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garrett discuss Sorry to Bother You, how absolutely bonkers the movie is, labor rights, code switching, and the future of capitalism. Have a look at how Harvard perpetuates the model minority stereotype in its admissions process. Also, Nicole underestimated the amount of NBA players who go broke-- it's actually 60% bankrupt after 5 years.
Garrett recommends You Were Never Really Here, read his review at Cinemababel.com. Nicole recommends Norma Rae.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garret S briefly discuss our thoughts on Bao.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garret S discuss Incredibles 2, the cyclical nature of cultural movements, the need for society to keep us in prescribed roles, and the mainstreaming of alternative cultures.
Nicole recommends The Power and Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Adam discuss Ocean's 8, women in crime on film, and the dispute over men watching female-led movies. Check out a favorite clip from the 2001 Ocean's Eleven of Matt Damon accidentally dropping a racial slur on Bernie Mac.
Adam recommends The Rover and The Limey. Nicole recommends Out of Sight.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Coco, death, and immigration's effect on American culture. Check out interviews with Benjamin Bratt and Alanna Ubach on making the film.
Nicole recommends Mozart in the Jungle.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter, visit our Facebook Page, talk to us on Twitter, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Le Redoutable (playing as Godard Mon Amor in the United States), the failure of the movie to capture a woman's perspective, and the argument that female oppression is a valid price for artistic genius. Stacy is not the only one to note that the central figure is more reminiscent of Woody Allen than Jean-Luc Godard who has just about as much self-awareness as the director. Also read this recent article in The Atlantic for other abuses forgiven in the name of genius.
Stacy recommends Tao Te Ching and Nicole recommends buying a copy of Street Sense if you pass a homeless person selling one.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Jen discuss Tully, feminism and domestic work, meeting our younger selves, and the controversy around the movie. Check out the perfectly timed Dear Sugar podcast dealing with the invisible labor women do. Also read criticism of the movie by Postpartum Support International and a counter argument on the value of fiction from Vox.
Nicole recommends Cyndi Lauper's album, She's So Unusual and Jen recommends the movie version of Parenthood.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss A Quiet Place, the non-stop suspense of the movie, the rise of dystopian/post-apocalyptic movies, and the metaphor of protecting our kids from social media and the terrors of gun violence. The New Yorker wrongly thinks it's about fear of PC culture.
Nicole recommends Jeremiah.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy, Nicole and Garrett discuss Blockers, proms in movies and in our lives, affirmative consent, and the policing of young women's bodies. Check out how uncomfortable talking about sex makes teenagers on This American Life.
Garrett recommends A Quiet Place and Nicole recommends Molly Ringwald's article reflecting on problematic art in the age of #MeToo.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss A Wrinkle in Time, compare the movie to the book, and criticize the movie for its facile handling of complex issues such as bullying. While some critics found a child-like wonder to the movie, actual kids have not been going to see it.
Stacy recommends revisiting Northern Exposure and Nicole recommends reading A Wrinkle in Time and watching the Netflix show, A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Nicole and Garrett discuss Annihilation, the appeal of sci-fi worlds, the fate of the mid-budget movie, and whether cinematic universe movies are in a bubble. Read about the rise of women-led sc-fi films and how music curation had to be reinvented for streaming music services.
Garret recommends Blame and Becks. Nicole recommends Altered Carbon.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes. And see Garret's website, CinemaBabel.com
Stacy and Nicole discuss Hostiles, war atrocities, and the portrayal of First Nations in Westerns. Have a listen to the movie's gorgeous soundtrack. And take a trip down nostalgia lane for Rory Cochrane in his most memorable role. For more about First Nations actors on film, read Why I Won’t Wear War Paint and Feathers in a Movie Again from Time Magazine.
Stacy recommends 3:10 to Yuma and Nicole recommends her homework for this episode, Reel Injun.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter and visit our store, talk to us on Twitter, visit our Facebook Page, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss The Post, the morality of leaking information, and the role of the press in today's fake news climate. Check out Personal History, Katherine Graham's memoir for more information on her. Also read the real story behind the meeting of Daniel Ellsberg and Edward Snowden. And in case you missed it, Trump is making sure the news stays fake.
Stacy recommends listening to The Greatest Showman Soundtrack to lighten the mood, while reading James Comey's twitter feed.
Nicole recommends the great Errol Morris documentary, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter, visit our Facebook Page, talk to us on Twitter, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy, Nicole, and Adam discuss Molly's Game, the idealism of Aaron Sorkin, and when the moral thing is to name names. For the real story on Molly Bloom, check out this article from Time. Also, revisit Michael Douglas' inspiring speech from The American President. And if you haven't had enough of male celebrities behaving badly, we present The Pussy Posse.
Adam recommends the Dark Tower book series, Blade Runner 2049 (our episode here), and Miss Sloane (our episode here). Stacy recommends Netflix original series GLOWand Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Nicole recommends The Mirage, by Matt Ruff.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter, visit our Facebook Page, talk to us on Twitter, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Downsizing, retiring abroad, and the inescapability of inequality.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter, visit our Facebook Page, talk to us on Twitter, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy, Nicole, and Garrett discuss Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, redemption for morally questionable characters, and male loneliness. Check out the Boston Globe article on declining male friendships with discussion by The Good Men Project.
Stacy recommends Godless and John Boyega watching the Star Wars trailer. Garrett recommends The Lost City of Z and Life. Nicole recommends The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter, visit our Facebook Page, talk to us on Twitter, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy, Nicole, and Jen discuss Murder on the Orient Express, the role of justice, truth, and vengeance in society, and whether we're ready for a kinder, less jerky genius detective. We revisit some of the themes from our Logan episode and for a hilarious satire of Poirot and other famous detectives, check out Murder by Death.
Jen recommends The Florida Project, Nicole recommends the soundtrack from Henry V, and Stacy gives credit to Karina Longworth.
Check out our website where you can sign up for our newsletter, visit our Facebook Page, talk to us on Twitter, and please leave a review for us on iTunes.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Only the Brave, work-life balance and the new masculinity, and development in disaster-prone areas. Check out the original GQ article that inspired the movie and hear Planet Money's story on the problems with flood insurance.
Adam and Stacy (and Jane the cat) argue with Nicole about Blade Runner 2049, the craft of film making, the nature of consciousness, and the human need to anthropomorphize inanimate objects. This is everything you need to know about fan wanking.
Adam recommends The Good Son and Stacy recommends The Wonder Trail.
In a special pre-Halloween episode of Movies that Matter, Stacy discusses the remake of Stephen King's horror classic It, societal apathy regarding systemic problems like child abuse, and the new role of horror films as social critique.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Logan Lucky, country culture, and Southern culture's issue with white supremacy. Stacy recommends checking out your local agricultural fair and Nicole recommends watching Daniel Craig on The Catherine Tate Show.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Ingrid Goes West, the effect of social media on celebrity culture, and its personal effects. Check out this Slate article on the movie's reception by actual Instagram influencers and follow the story about Marina Joyce here.
Stacy wrote a book! She recommends you read it: http://stacyerinmoore.com/banshee and Nicole recommends the Black Mirror episode Nosedive.
Stacy, Nicole, and Garrett discuss Detroit, violence and tension in movies, riots and the roots of violence, and the appropriateness of white directors telling people of color's stories. We mention the controversy surrounding Adam Sandler's Ridiculous Six, where to see the beautiful Migration Series paintings used in the opening titles, fact vs. fiction in Detroit, and an article explaining why people riot.
Garrett recommends Hounds of Love, Stacy recommends not shooting people in the back, and Nicole recommends Uncle Tom's Cabin. Check out movie reviews by Garrett at https://letterboxd.com/mrgchristopher/.
Stacy and Nicole discuss The Big Sick, the death (and possible resurgence?) of romantic comedies, how we pick our mates, and immigrant assimilation.
Check out The Atlantic article on why romantic comedies can't keep people apart, some thoughtful criticism of the movie on Represent, and the Slate article on Master of None's Religion episode. Also watch the 9/11 joke for yourself.
Stacy and Nicole discuss The Book of Henry, domestic abuse and the Blue Code of Silence, and other recent news on the Cosby rape trial and the verdict in the Philando Castile shooting. This article on the prevalence of domestic abuse by law enforcement is discussed in the episode. Stacy recommends the collaboration between Sia and Maddie Ziegler described here.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Wonder Woman, Bechdel paradises, America's problem with violence, and the female gaze. Mentioned in this episode, the link between dermatology and villainy.
Recommendations this week: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Joyeux Noel.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Snatched, making a movie from the perspective of someone who's never traveled anywhere, and the age old debate over whether women are funny. Mentioned in this episode are Romancing the Stone, brown face classic movies, Christopher Hitchen's controversial piece Why Women Aren't Funny and Tina Fey's response.
Stacy and Nicole discuss The Circle with guest host Jen, and cover millennials and the positive and negative aspects of increased privacy erosion by technology. We mention the movie critic Dana Stevens, Dave Eggers's previous book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Beck and the album Odelay, and The Circle's Wikipedia page.
Recommendations this week: Minority Report, Parks and Recreation's 7th Season, and Attack the Block.
Stacy and Nicole disagree about Colossal and Anne Hathaway and also discuss the Nice Guy (tm) and toxic masculinity. Further reading on Nice Guy (tm) here and here. Check our twitter feed for our next movie!
Stacy and Nicole discuss Gifted, family court, class divides in education, and the value of socialization. The Erma Bombeck column Nicole mentioned is reprinted in this blog post. And here's an article about the UK study Stacy talked about showing a 43% decline in suicides from Tylenol overdoses after changing to blister packs.
Recommendations this week: Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat.
Nicole and Adam discuss T2, the passage of 20 years, the genius of Danny Boyle, the misinterpretation of Choose Life, and, of course, the bathroom.
Recommendations this week: Dear Sugar Radio originally from The Rumpus and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.
Stacy and Nicole discuss The Shack, forgiveness, and the function of religion in our lives. Stacy mentions press coverage of the movie that took issue with human representation of God and the Trinity. Also mentioned, statistics on the number of people said to hold a "Christian worldview".
Recommendations this week: Greenleaf and The Way.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Logan, Westerns, the X-Men universe, and the depth (or lack thereof) of meaning in Marvel superhero movies.
Recommendation this week, The Girl With All The Gifts and Watchmen.
Nicole and Stacy talk with Sari about Get Out, the fear of being black in white spaces, white fragility, and horror movie tropes. Mentioned in the episode is a an interview with Jordan Peele on the Nerdist podcast.
Recommendations this week: This Is Us and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.
Nicole and Stacy discuss The Founder and the legacy of McDonald's in shaping American spending and eating habits. Mentioned in this episode: the article on Michelle Obama's stealth battle against the food industry and the article on American's changing on eating habits. Stacy recommends Dear White People and Nicole recommends A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Nicole, Sari, and Stacy talk Hidden Figures, the difficulties of surviving at NASA as a black female "computer" and avoiding classic cliches about American individualism. This week Sari recommends Fences, Stacy recommends Hell or High Water, and Nicole recommends One Day at a Time.
Nicole and Spencer discuss 20th Century Women, the perils of teenage love, and what it means to be a man. Check out Hanna Rosin's provoking essay The End of Men and the letter one Princeton alum wrote about why women should get to marrying (her son). Our recommendations for this episode are The Women (1939), Everybody Wants Some!!, and Searching for John Hughes.
Nicole and Doug discuss Rogue One, the Star Wars franchise, and the morality of collaborating.
Nicole and Adam discus Miss Sloane, how to successfully turn Toronto into DC and the role of lobbying.
Nicole and Spencer discuss Arrival and communication or lack thereof in the recent election.
Nicole and Stacy discuss Todd Phillips' comedy War Dogs about two 20-somethings making bank off the Iraq War.
Stacy and Nicole discuss the documentary Tickled, online harassment, and what makes a good documentary.
Nicole and Stacy explore the immense and confounding wave of outrage that broke over the new Ghostbusters reboot.
Stacy and Nicole explore the merits of male objectification in The Legend of Tarzan and discuss the "white savior" trope.
Stacy and Nicole do a comparison review of the original Independence Day and Independence Day: Resurgence and discuss the differences in diversity, CGI, yucky love stuff, and world peace.
Stacy and Nicole discuss The Lobster and singletons, humanity, dating, and if Colin Farrell is funny.
Stacy and Nicole discuss Hello My Name is Doris and the nature of May/December romances and older women's roles in movies and the bedroom.