Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics

In the finale of season 1, Mike and Dan discuss The Dinner (2014), Ivano De Matteo's adaptation of Herman Koch's novel. Dan talks about how the film is like a judo throw, Mike zeroes in on a minor character whom he finds diabolical, and each asks a question that (finally) makes the other guy stop jabbering for a minute. 

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Mike and Dan practically burst into song about Singin' in the Rain (1952). Dan asks why it's different from so many other--perhaps all other--Hollywood musicals and Mike offers that the movie does what only movies can do. So say, "Good Morning!" and give it a listen!

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

Dan and Mike talk about going to the movies: what they like about movie theaters and what drives them up the wall: trailers, noises, and other people. Trigger warning: opinions pile up faster than empty soda cups.

After their usual pre-show cocktails of lamp-oil and honey, Mike and Dan sit in open-mouthed amazement at Robert Eggers's The Lighthouse (2019). Dan compares the film to works by a slew of writers; Mike argues that the strength of this and The Witch earn the director the right to be known by his last name; the two discuss what Mike calls the "associative logic" of the film and the psychological condition of "batshit craziness." Monkey pump! 

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

Mike and Dan talk about Peter Jackson's 2018 documentary They Shall Not Grow Old. They discuss what colorizing footage from World War I does for the viewer, Jackson's admirable restraint, and the significance of the film's haunting title.

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley. 

Mike and Dan agree that Godfather II is a perfect film by any measure and wish they had more than 15 minutes in which to do it justice. After Dan proposes they just do every future episode about Godfather II, they talk about Hyman Roth as a perfect villain, Michael losing his soul, and the brilliance and dramatic puzzle of the film's final image.

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

Mike and Dan discuss Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War (2018). How is falling in love like entering another country? What kind of man thinks he can corral a woman like Zula? And what happens in the film's final moments? Listen to Mike and Dan have their first big argument about the film's final images.

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

Dan and Mike gush over what may be one of the funniest films ever made: Arthur Heller's The In-Laws (1979). After Dan compares the film to Seinfeld, Mike notes a cast member who appears in both works. They also talk about who is the true straight man and how the film doubles down just when one would expect it to fizzle. This was Marlon Brando's favorite comedy and it's one of theirs, too.

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

In this early episode, Mike and Dan look back to the second Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963). Dan gives Mike a Bond Rorschach test, the two share their favorite Bond moments from the film, and Mike offers a theory about why the 007 movies are better than the novels.

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

Dan and Mike discuss Rian Johnson's Knives Out (2019). They tackle what separates a good mystery from a great one, Daniel Craig in his soon-to-be serial role, and a surprise of the film not related to the plot. Warning: spoilers abound for many other films and mystery novels.

Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.