Our delightful pal Kev Koeser of the Tasting Menu and Total Massacre podcasts jumped in in a pinch to help us talk about a REAL nothing of a movie, the essence of money-making Childrens Film Product: MADAGASCAR! Our first top-10 entry, we discuss Dreamworks' race to beat Disney to the "talking animal travels abroad" punch, and how the creative team behind this movie is so, so, so much more interesting than the moribund nothing they've provided here.

We weren't sure we'd get much out of such a lackluster piece of art, but we ended up having a blast, check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Tasting Menu: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tasting-menu/id1773585423

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Box Office GROSS return to the world of unhinged, justly forgotten rom-coms as we go DEEP, deeper than deep, AS DEEP AS LEGALLY ALLOWED, longer than the film itself, in fact, on the nightmarishly bad MONSTER-IN-LAW. We plumb the depths to find answers to so many pressing questions, such as: why the hell did screen legend Jane Fonda choose this garbage as her return to cinemas? Why do all JLo's outfits look like shit?! What is Adam Scott doing in this movie?! Would Michael Vartan dissolve if you blew air at him?

And the biggest mystery of all: WHY DID ONE OF OUR INTREPID HOSTS...ACTUALLY LIKE THIS FILM?!

To join us in our dive, we invite the great Diana Goodman of the delightful THIRTY TWENTY TEN podcast to be our guest specifically because she's already put herself through this film for her own podcast, so it meant I wasn't responsible for making another human being watch this garbage.

We are FEISTY here and it was SO MUCH FUN. Check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Diana's Twitter: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/lecinenerd.bsky.social

Thirty Twenty Ten: https://302010show.libsyn.com/

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Hoo boy, this week is a doozy. We journey back in time to cover the 2005 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture, CRASH, its overaccomplished cast, its heinously manipulative plotting, its hilariously facile look at American racial politics, its string of irritatingly "funny" wannabe-Tarantino monologues.

We bring in one of our longest-tenured internet pals, the great Shaun Swayne, to simultaneously have our jokeyest AND our most serious discussion on the show so far, as we relitigate discussions we probably had on the IMDb Message Boards upon original release: Are these characters owed redemption? How do you measure cultural influence? Is the potential for "starting a dialogue" enough to validate a piece of art you may otherwise dislike? IS this the worst Best Picture winner of all time? At least one of our answers to those questions may surprise you!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shaun's Twitter: https://x.com/shaun2oo3Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

It took us fourteen episodes but we invite the great Jesse Hawken (JUNK FILTER) to be our guest as we have finally arrived at a REAL GROWN-UP MOVIE on this project: Sydney Pollack's political thriller THE INTERPRETER., a movie that is basically completely forgotten now because it is not really equipped to deal with the political implications of its general premise, but a handsomely made, professional thriller starring two compelling actors that a lot of people paid money to see on original release, more than a lot of higher-profile films released around it.

We practice our Afrikaans accents, discuss the film's well-meaning but muddled racial politics, its waste of Catherine Keener, and its insane status as the only film to ever get permission to film inside the United Nations chambers, a status is maintains despite having a climax where an extremely famous blonde woman points a gun at a pretend version of Robert Mugabe.

CHECK IT OUT!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Upon Thy Glittering Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNm75ZRj2GU

Jesse's Twitter: https://x.com/jessehawken

Jesse's Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/jessehawken.bsky.social

JUNK FILTER: https://open.spotify.com/show/7LYHMg6qGRIM8D2vDUQlzf

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

FOLKS, Ep. 13 is our first DOUBLE GUEST episode, but the AMITYVILLE series was just gonna be too big for one person. I called upon two of my great friends, longtime cinephile pal Daniel Gorman AND somehow more of a Cinemasochist than me Steve Carlson, who has somehow watched upwards of FORTY Amityville-branded slopfests.

We got into every inch of the AMITYVILLE franchise, from its specious origins and its dire hit first adaptation to its unhinged series of direct-to-video "cursed object" sequels straight on through 2005's THE AMITYVILLE HORROR starring Ryan Reynolds, which makes all the same mistakes of the original adaptation and adds a few new ones to boot, all the way through the demented modern era of AMITYVILLE branding, from AMITYVILLE DEATH TOILET to AMITYVILLE GAS CHAMBER.

I got up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning to make sure we could get this episode done, and I was rewarded with maybe the most fun we've had recording an episode on this project so far, check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daniel's Twitter: https://x.com/DanielGorman20

Daniel's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/danielgorman20.bsky.social

Steve's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lcosgrove.bsky.social

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

We welcome the great Matt Lynch (The Suspense is Killing Us, Scarecrow Video) back to the show and mirroring his previous appearance (Constantine), he shows up for another surprisingly delightful action movie: Sahara!

We delve into the psychotic hack misogyny of author Clive Cussler, the violent changes in Matthew McConaughey's cultural legacy and the unfairly maligned reputation and ludicrous court proceedings of this rather fun piece of exhilarating action piffle. Check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Matt's Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colonelmortimer.bsky.social ⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

FOLKS, today we bring you our first truly relevant, iconic, influential film that we've covered on this project, Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller's "SIN CITY", and we went DEEP with special guest, our brilliant and learned animation and comic scholar TJ Dobbin as we worked to untangle the complicated artistry, the dubious influence and the rancid misogyny of this messy, groundbreaking piece of iconography.

Topics include the fundamental differences between comics and films, the greatest of Benicio Del Toro, Alexis Bledel's chunky belts, the wild late 90s films of Jean-Claude Van Damme and I tell a story about SIN CITY's relationship to one of the few times in my life I threatened to kick someone's ass!

This is definitely our longest episode, and may very well be our best.

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TJ's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tjamesdobbin.bsky.social

TJ's Substack: https://strawberrypenguin.substack.com/

Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema by Willow Maclay (Author), Caden Gardner (Author) - https://www.amazon.com/Corpses-Fools-Monsters-Examination-Images/dp/1914420586

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

This one is TOO CONTROVERSIAL FOR A GUEST! Rob and I dive together into the HOT WATERS of "Guess Who", a story of RACIAL DIVISION, UNEXAMINED HOMOPHOBIA, TOXIC MASCULINITY and the fundamental vagaries of your child dating Ashton Kutcher.

We had a blast delving into this stupid slapstick farce, that has so little to do with the browbeating liberal-lecture classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" it's supposedly inspired by, and so much more with just making the lamest, most unsympathetic possible "Meet the Parents" riff.

RIP BERNIE MAC

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Did you know "The Ring" was based on a novel? Did you know film adaptations of both "Ring" and its sequel novel "Spiral" were released ON THE SAME DAY in Japan? Did you know the latter went so poorly but the American remake succeeded so wildly that now, confusingly, there are THREE SEPARATE FILMS that could conceivably call themselves "the second Ring movie"?

We call upon the services of the GREAT JOE GIBSON! to help us unpile the third and final Second Ring Film, Hideo Nakata's "The Ring Two", a film that sees the question "in a franchise with exactly one film's worth of good story, what can you fill a second film with?" and answers it with "definitely betray all the distinctive things about the first film, and to fill in the rest, I've got it: CHILD ABUSE!"

JOIN US. This was a very fun one as well go deep on Samara's final-ish ride.

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Joe's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joelastname.bsky.social

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Episode 8 is our first animated film, somehow the fifteenth highest grossing film of the year despite being maybe the most obscure movie we've covered so far, Ewan McGregor and Robin Williams in "ROBOTS"! You ever wanted to hear a bunch of androids straight out of "Rollie Pollie Ollie" make SEX JOKES??? You ever seen a lady with an ass so big that her farts make street lights KILL THEMSELVES??? You ever wanted to hear Paul Giamatti do a FUNNY LITTLE VOICE???? You ever wanted to hear someone mention the film "PARTS: THE CLONUS HORROR"????

THEN THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOUUUUU

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )