Forgotten Cinema

Mike Butler and Mike Field are teaming up with Ben Affleck to fight mercenaries and math on this episode of Forgotten Cinema as they discuss the 2016 action thriller, The Accountant, directed by Gavin O'Connor.

Also starring Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, and Jon Lithgow, the films centers on Christian Wolff, a genius accountant who falls on the autism spectrum. Using a small-town CPA office as a cover, he makes his living as a freelance accountant for dangerous criminal organizations. To lay low, Christian takes on a state-of-the-art robotics company as a legitimate client, but as Wolff gets closer to the truth about a discrepancy that involves millions of dollars, Wolff finds himself using not only his mathematical genius, but his special ops military training, to get to the bottom of a huge corporate conspiracy and a surprising connection to his own past.

Listen in as the Mikes discuss the interesting character of Christian Wolff, a character Affleck himself lists as one of his top 5 roles, as well as the action in the film, Jon Bernthal's continued unappreciated greatness, hopes for a sequel, behind the scenes facts and more!

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

00:00 - Introduction

01:47 - Film Summary

02:19 - Film Facts

07:36 - Film Discussion

35:05 - Critics Reviews

36:41 - Three Theory

38:16 - Favorite Quotes

42:17 - Why it's Forgotten

48:17 - Where to Find Us

The Mikes are playing America's favorite past-time with their guest this week; Pat Whalen from the Yet Another MCU Podcast as they discuss the 2001 romantic sports comedy, Summer Catch.

Taking place in Cape Cod and about players on their Chatham A's baseball team. The film centers on local player, Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) who meets and falls for Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), the daughter of a wealthy couple who summer on the Cape. Ryan must deal with his feelings for Tenley as he clings to one last hope of being discovered and signed to a pro baseball contract.

Join Mike Field, Mike Butler, and Pat as they take a deep dive into what works and (mostly) what doesn't in this light and enjoyable film that is firmly a part of early 00's cinema.

So, grab your peanuts and cracker jacks, please watch out for any foul fly balls and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

00:00 - Introduction

03:29 - Film Summary

04:49 - Film Facts

12:49 - Film Discussion

41:05 - Critics Reviews

43:43 - Why It's Forgotten

54:54 - Where to Find Us

The Mikes are going back to 1980's Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall to do some spy stuff with Charlize Theron in 2017's Atomic Blonde.

Directed by David Leitch of John Wick fame, this film also stars James McAvoy as a partner/foil for Theron's deadly agent, as East and West Berlin spies race to find a secret list of undercover agents and find the identity of a double agent working against them. The film also stars, Sofia Boutella, John Goodman, Toby Jones, and Bill Skarsgård.

Mike Butler and Mike Field discuss what makes the action in this film great, but also some of the design, lighting, and directing choices that take away from the film and stop it from elevating to the ranks of more popular spy films the likes of Bourne or Bond. But the Mikes do agree that the stunt work, the music, the setting, and Charlize all kick ass; enough for us to want an Atomic Blonde 2.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

00:00 - Introduction

01:50 - Film Summary

02:27 - Film Facts

08:05 - Film Discussion

44:35 - Critics Reviews

48:21 - Why It's Forgotten

53:12 - Where to Find Us

It's the Season 13 finale!

Get your sick sticks ready! Mike Butler and Mike Field are discussing the 2002 hit Minority Report, directed by a small indie director named Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise in what is surely now the last Tom Cruise film we haven't covered...seriously though, this is our sixth Tom Cruise film! We might have a problem.

Field gives you the facts, Butler tells you why they think it's forgotten by many and they both just gush over how much they love this movie. I mean...it's Steven "frickin'" Spielberg and Tom "he might be crazy, but we love him" Cruise together in a Sci-Fi action mystery! This film ticks all the Mike's boxes!

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

The Mikes are getting into the "funny papers" this week, as they discuss the 2005 comedy musical Reefer Madness, starring Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, Steven Weber, Ana Gasteyer, and Alan Cumming.

Mike Butler and Mike Field enjoy this raunchy, hilarious musical, that is a farcical "remake" of a ridiculous anti-marijuana film from the 1930's. The film is also adapted from the same stage play performed just a few years prior, which also starred much of the same cast.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

The Mikes are running afoul of the Russian mob as they check out David Cronenberg's 2007 crime film, Eastern Promises, starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts.

Mike Field and Mike Butler discuss the how underrated both Mortensen and Cronenberg are in terms of general audiences, the infamous bathhouse fight, and what worked and what didn't in terms of the story such as choices that Watt's character makes and if the film goes far enough in terms of the violence for a film directed by Cronenberg.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

The Mikes are mumbling their way through some strange songs and even stranger characters on this episode of Forgotten Cinema as they discuss Robert Altman's 1980 musical-comedy Popeye, starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duval.

Mike Butler is not a fan of this very odd children's film based on the popular cartoon character. From the unfunny dialogue, the slow pacing of the first third of the film, and the odd beats and off-key songs, there isn't much in this film that Butler can get behind, except for the awesome seaside town that they built for this film.

Mike Field can't defend the opinions and issues that Butler has. However, Field believes that all of that is part of Popeye's charm. It's an odd film that revels in the absurd and takes chances that make it stand apart from other films in its genre which is why today it has garnered a bit of a cult following.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

Be better than the Gap!

It's time for Ryan Gosling to teach you and a down-on-his-luck Steve Carell how to be a better man...or at least a better player in 2011's Crazy Stupid Love.

Mike Butler and Mike Field discuss how this quirky romantic dramedy is actually a generally great movie, that is well acted, well written, and well directed. This film has many branching storylines and although they are not all as strong as others, they all intersect very well and work to build a film that is incredibly memorable.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

It's life in prison on a desert...followed by life in prison stranded on an exotic island that just happens to be right next to a desert? Sorry, the Mikes still haven't wrapped their heads around that one.

The Mikes are talking No Escape from 1994, directed by Martin Campbell and starring the late Ray Liotta, Lance Henrikson, Stuart Wilson and Ernie Hudson. Listen in as Mike Butler and Mike Field talk about the many, many logistical questions that come into play while watching the film. How are some of these guys the worst of the worst prison has to offer? Where does the "bad" prisoner gang get all their matching black leather outfits and Halloween masks? Why is the mayor from Godzilla '97 running a prison state now? But between the gaps in logic, cheesy dialogue, and questionable cinematography and aesthetics that at times makes No Escape seem older than it is there is a lot to enjoy about this film. The performances are all solid, there is some interesting character backstory, the action is decent and it's cool to see Ray Liotta as a character free from the shackles that come from being Henry Hill in Goodfellas.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

You walk by a phone booth in New York City. The phone suddenly starts ringing. You turn around in disbelief..."Whoa! There are still phone booths in this country?!" you say to yourself out loud as you ignore the ringing phone that clearly isn't for you, because if it was for you, they'd be calling your cell phone! And even then, you ignore the call, because let's face it, if it's not a text it's probably a spam call. You walk away, moving on with your life, never knowing who was on the other end....

...And that's how the 2022 version of Joel Schumacher's 2002 thriller Phone Booth starring an up and coming Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker, and Kiefer Sutherland would have ended. Luckily Farrell's douchey publicist, Stu decides to pick up that phone and the Mikes are now talking about it!

Listen in as Mike Field and Mike Butler argue over whether this film still holds up, both in story, logic, acting, and film style choices. The Mike will also discuss fun facts such as that the film was thought up by writer Larry Cohen decades prior as a vehicle for Alfred Hitchcock, but Cohen could not for the life of him figure out why a character would have to stay in a phone booth. Guess guns didn't exist back in the late 60's.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema.