Way back in 2020, a few hardcore Hamilfans -- including this episode's guest -- united for the first-ever Crooked Roundtable to talk up the Disney+ release of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical Hamilton. Now, at last, loyal listeners get the long-awaited spiritual sequel to that discussion. On this episode, Close Watch continues its year-long analysis of movie musicals as The Lady-Wan of Screen Run joins us to talk 2021's In the Heights. Based on Miranda's other Tony-winning musical, the film follows a group of largely Latinx characters in New York's Washington Heights. We'll discuss why In the Heights underperformed at the box office, how it thematically matches up with Hamilton, and why director Jon M. Chu's film deserved better. Plus, we'll count down our favorite In the Heights songs in a brand-new edition of Let's Talk About SIX! Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

It's 2023, and Close Watch has a song in its heart this year. For the next year, we're dedicating this podcast to movie musicals. Every month, the show will feature at least one episode in which Rob and a guest go in-depth on a beloved movie musical. And what better way to celebrate one of cinema's most beloved genres than with a man-eating plant from outer space?! Film critic Morgan Roberts joins the show to discuss 1986's Little Shop of Horrors starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Steve Martin. We'll discuss the elite group of movie musicals the Frank Oz-directed film belongs to, the staggering puppetry that brings Audrey II to life, and explore why some of our favorite movie musicals go to some very dark places. So shimmy downtown to the little flower shop on the corner for a glimpse at the strange and unusual plant in the window. Just don't feed the plants! Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

After UHF, "Weird Al" Yankovic fans faced a wait of more than three decades for another movie featuring the musical icon. And finally, along comes Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as "The Weird One" himself, the movie pokes fun at Yankovic's life and career as well as the very notion that someone would make a biopic about him. Lauren Carey of the Beer'd Al Podcast joins us to discuss 2022's Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (a movie she and Rob willed into being). We'll cover whether The Roku Channel original movie met our expectations, how it connects back to the criminally under-seen 1985 mockumentary The Compleat Al, and what we want Yankovic to do next in a post-Weird world. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Cate Blanchett might be poised to win a third Academy Award for her performance in Tár. But more than two decades ago, the actor -- who was already well on her way to becoming one of the best actors of her generation -- co-starred with Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton in an under-seen crime comedy-drama. And unsurprisingly, she steals the film. The Famous Ashley Grant joins us to discuss 2001's Bandits from director Barry Levinson. We'll talk about Blanchett's mesmerizing turn as the hostage who comes in between two bank robbers (Willis, Thornton), how the movie's treatment of romance is so progressive, and we'll name-check our favorite Willis movies in a new edition of Let's Talk About SIX. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Some movies are too big to cover in a single conversation. Cloud Atlas -- the 2012 epic directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer -- is definitely such a movie. So to celebrate the film's tenth anniversary, we invited Brian Skutle of the Sonic Cinema Podcast to help us dig into the movie and its ensemble cast, which includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Jim Broadbent. In this first half of a massive two-part crossover event, Brian joins us to discuss the audacious production that was Cloud Atlas, its controversial casting choices, its six interwoven stories, and its grand themes. Plus, the thrilling return of Let's Talk About SIX sees Rob and Brian rank their six favorite Wachowski-led projects, from Bound to The Matrix Resurrections! Stay tuned to the Sonic Cinema Podcast for Part 2 of our Cloud Atlas chat, as Rob swings by to discuss how Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, and Reinhold Heil's score informs the movie's story. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Unless superheroes, hobbits, or boy wizards are involved, fantasy films are all too rare these days. But in the 1980s, the genre was thriving on the big screen. Filmmakers coupled state-of-the-art visual effects with puppetry, make-up, and good ol' movie magic to create worlds fans could previously only imagine. Director Ron Howard's 1988 film Willow is one such film. Featuring a story by George Lucas, Willow was the filmmaker's blatant attempt to tell a story like The Lord of the Rings. And with the new Disney+ sequel series right around the corner, Jeremiah Stewart of the Let's Talk YouTube channel joins the show to remind listeners why they should revisit Willow. We'll discuss how the movie inspired Jeremiah's own interest, the greatness of star Warwick Davis, and what we want out of the new show. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Cinema -- like all art forms -- is wholly subjective. And within that, comedy is perhaps most subjective of all. That being said, 1980's Airplane! remains widely considered one of the funniest movies of all time. So as Close Watch emerges from a lengthy hiatus, we'll take to the skies for an in-depth chat. On this episode, film critic Albert Lanier returns to break down how Airplane! works not only as a comedy parodying the disaster films of the 1970s but also as an adaptation of the 1957 film Zero Hour. We'll discuss the most unforgettable jokes and most iconic performances, and answer once and for all whether Airplane! is indeed the funniest movie ever made. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

It's showtime. Close Watch kicks off a new year with the "ghost with the most" himself. Tim Burton's 1988 comedy Beetlejuice made mega-stars out of both Burton and Michael Keaton ahead of their next film, Batman. On this episode, Bri Azmoudeh of the Geeky Waffle Network's new podcast, Killer Waffles, joins the show to talk about why Bri connected so strongly to Beetlejuice, its balance of horror and comedy, and a possible sequel. SYNOPSIS
After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones) and teen daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rambunctious spirit whose "help" quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

The Dark Universe might have been dead on arrival, but 1999's The Mummy remains just as beloved as ever. More than two decades later, fans continue to revisit Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz's sweeping adventure. On this episode, Catherine Gonzales of Latinx Lens joins the show as we talk about the film's influence on modern blockbusters, its iconic cast of unforgettable characters, and how well it holds up by today's standards. SYNOPSIS
The Mummy is a rousing, suspenseful and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Call him The Dude, His Dudeness, El Duder, or even El Duderino (if you're not into the whole brevity thing). Whatever you call Jeff Bridge's loveable hipster hero in The Big Lebowski, he's certainly become a cinematic icon. This episode, Kerri Jones joins the show to help us break down the ethos of The Dude, what it has to say about the culture (and counter-culture), and why so many fans seem ready and willing to convert to Dudeism. SYNOPSIS
Jeff "The Dude" Leboswki (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for Jeffrey Lebowski (Charles Durning), who is The Big Lebowski. In search of justice, The Dude tracks down his namesake, who offers him a job. His wife (Tara Reid) has been kidnapped, and he needs a reliable bagman. Aided and hindered by his pals Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), a Vietnam vet, and Donny (Steve Buscemi). Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram