It's been so long since the first "Avatar" that it came out two years before Josh was even on the show. But back in 2009, Josh was a fan of James Cameron's 3D game-changer. And he wasn't alone. The film, despite its lack of cultural cache a dozen years later, was a critical as well as a box office success. Adam, on the other hand, was one of the film's harshest critics. Will Cameron's return to Pandora have Adam seeing the error of his ways? Or will Josh start to question his loyalty to the Na'vi?
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Avatar: The Way of Water

Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).

TV & Film

Film Reviews

Film History

Back in ’99, Josh was a fan of “The Mummy.” Film snob Adam skipped it. With the movie back in theaters for its 25th anniversary, they give it a fresh look. Plus, Barbra Streisand in her film debut “Funny Girl” and a Golden Brick nod for the Chicago-set “We Grown Now.”
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads; chapters may start early.)
Open (00:00:00-00:02:25)
Review: “The Mummy” at 25 (00:02:26-00:34:44)
Preview: Chicago Critics Film Fest (00:34:45-00:45:04)
Brickspotting: “We Grown Now” (00:45:05-00:48:44)
Notes, Massacre Theatre (00:48:45-00:57:40)
Wyler #5: “Funny Girl” (00:57:41-01:35:29)
Close, New Releases (01:35:30-01:38:16)
Notes/Links:
Chicago Critics Film Fest
https://www.chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com/
William Wyler Marathon
https://www.filmspotting.net/marathons
Filmspotting Presents Mother’s Day with “Roman Holiday” at The Music Box
https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/roman-holiday
Feedback:
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#964: The Mummy at 25, Funny Girl (Wyler #5), We Grown Now

Adam and Josh's 2019 conversation about Ridley Scott's "Alien," which is being re-released on April 26 ("Alien Day") for its 45 anniversary.
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From the Archive: Alien (1979)

Is Alex Garland’s new film a warning or mere provocation? Adam and Josh discuss. Plus, the William Wyler Marathon continues with the 1959 biblical epic “Ben-Hur” and we crown a ‘50s Madness Champ. 
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads; chapters may start early.)
Open (00:00:00-00:02:19)
Review: “Civil War” (00:01:58-00:34:16)
Next Week / Notes (00:34:17-00:42:28)
‘50s Madness Champ (00:42:29-01:01:51)
Wyler #4: “Ben-Hur” (01:01:52-01:27:06)
Close, New Releases (01:27:07-01:31:40)
Notes/Links:
Filmspotting Madness
https://www.filmspotting.net/madness
William Wyler Marathon
https://www.filmspotting.net/marathons
Filmspotting Presents Mother’s Day with “Roman Holiday” at The Music Box
https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/roman-holiday
Chicago Critics Film Fest
https://www.chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com/
Feedback:
Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net.
Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support us:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access.
http://filmspottingfamily.com
-T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop.
https://filmspotting.net/shop
Contact us:
https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting
@filmspotting on Threads
https://twitter.com/filmspotting
https://facebook.com/filmspotting
https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm
@larsenonfilm on Threads
https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm
https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm
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#963: Civil War, Ben-Hur (Wyler #4), ‘50s Madness Champ

Director and legendary cinematographer Kirsten Johnson is known for nonfiction work that is inventive, artful, expressive, and maximal. The same can be said of the film that blew her mind -- Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz. The semi-autobiographical film brings us Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a peripatetic creative force working simultaneously to mount a major Broadway production and complete post-production on a feature film, all while maintaining a lifestyle fueled by cigarettes, pills, one-night stands, and Visine, and still finding time for his adoring 12-year old daughter, Michelle. We learn why the iconic film first transfixed Kirsten, and how she continues to be inspired by Fosse’s ingenious use of dance, documentary, theater, music, and more. Host John Cooper shares his personal ties to the film, calling on his days in New York’s theater scene of the 1970s. And co-host Tabitha Jackson (a.k.a. Wife of Kirsten) does her level best to maintain her professional distance as the conversation unfolds.

Listen and subscribe to The Film that Blew My Mind on Apple Podcasts.
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Filmspotting Presents: The Film That Blew My Mind - Kristen Johnson on All That Jazz

With Alex Garland’s “Civil War” on the horizon, Adam and Josh take another look at the writer/director’s prescient AI thriller “Ex Machina.” Plus, a spirited debate over 1942’s “Mrs. Miniver” and a finals matchup in Filmspotting Madness—Best of the ‘50s. 
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads; chapters may start early.)
Open (00:00:00-00:02:19)
Review: “Ex Machina” (00:02:20-00:51:47)
R.I.P. Louis Gossett Jr, M. Emmett Walsh / Dune 2 Feedback (00:51:48-01:03:36)
‘50s Madness Finals (01:03:37-01:13:30)
Wyler #3: “Mrs. Miniver” (01:13:31-01:54:55)
Close, New Releases (01:54:55-01:57:48)
Notes/Links:
Filmspotting Madness
https://www.filmspotting.net/madness
William Wyler Marathon
https://www.filmspotting.net/marathons
Josh at Ebert Interruptus 2024
https://www.colorado.edu/cwa/
Boulder Meetup w/Josh
https://www.filmspotting.net/events
Feedback:
Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net.
Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support us:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access.
http://filmspottingfamily.com
-T-shirts (and more) on sale at the Filmspotting Shop.
https://filmspotting.net/shop
Contact us:
https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting
@filmspotting on Threads
https://twitter.com/filmspotting
https://facebook.com/filmspotting
https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm
@larsenonfilm on Threads
https://twitter.com/larsenonfilm
https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm
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Avatar: The Way of Water

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