With Matt off this week, I was joined by my old pal Jared to have a breezy chat about the 1992 Peter Jackson (!!!) film "Dead Alive", the idea of the "zombie comedy", and our general musings on Halloween. We hope you enjoy it, and we hope you have a Happy Halloween! Trick or treat!!! (???)

"Gummo is the tale of two modern American hunter-gatherers (told from the perspective of a skateboarder) who were given the money and creative freedom to depict their lives in a way that shouldn't and couldn't have been told otherwise as art, in the culture it was created in. Yet it gets closer to the reality of nature and the response of humanity in a particular situation of our human condition then the ideological fantasies that are needed to fuel the machine of our culture industry and that we have all been conditioned by as the necessary default. It disturbs us because it shows us the truth that we repress to form our narrative to justify the unnecessary violence of our civilization. This is why it is good art." - Kenny Bishop

This week's guest texted us that after we watched and chatted about Gummo. Do we agree?

I accidentally deleted our 50th episode (don't ask), which sucked because it was one of the best podcast convos Matt and I have had to date.

Here it is again!!!

We welcome Tricia Jean back to the podcast for a raw, honest, and hard hitting conversation about Promising Young Woman, the kind of movie that helps define the word "polarizing".

Does this movie work narratively? What do we think the intended takeaway is supposed to be from the incendiary ending? What attributes does this movie have that make it not only important, but unique?

ft. Tricia Jean

CORRECTION: During this episode, Marcus incorrectly states that Promising Young Woman was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. In reality, it was nominated for 5. He regrets the error.

We go undercover to talk about The East, the 2013 installment from the filmmaking team of Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling (Marling also stars). How did we feel about the group of people on the run from the law in this movie? Are they environmental terrorists or noble revolutionaries? What does The East have to say about the efficacy of targeting individuals vs. targeting the system that encourages those individuals to thrive?

What are some good examples of movies that have a strong and well-defined cultural or critical reputation that we feel is incorrect?

That was the question we asked ourselves this week, and we let our opinions fly. We countered the common cultural takeaways of several movies (Anchorman 2, Death to Smoochy, Vanilla Sky, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, Iron Man 2, and A Clockwork Orange, to name them all) while also paying homage to the people who love to nitpick (which is, after all, what we do on this podcast every week). At the end of the day, even if we disagree with the takes, nitpicking means that people care. And so do we. Enjoy!

We pack our planes with contraband and rap about American Made, the 2017 Doug Liman/Tom Cruise collaboration that left us delighted. We also get into a fair amount of dime store psychology in regards to Cruise, his internal life, his career, and his acting style.

Why did Tom Cruise want to play Barry Seal? Did he identify with the character in some deep way, or was it just another excuse for Cruise to fly planes and do his own stunts? Also, how does this movie differ from other semi-biopics about historically notable figures, and are those differences marks in its favor or strikes against it?

We talk about the 2006 Larry Clark film "Wassup Rockers", one of his follow up efforts after gaining notoriety helming the infamous "Kids", a film that I also had not seen. Did I make the excellent life choice (mistake) of viewing "Kids" before this? Did it help or harm my opinion of this movie?

We also talk about punk and skateboarding and the portrayal of underprivileged and unsupervised teens in LA. Where did Wassup Rockers succeed where I felt Kids failed?

We wade into the timeless 12 Angry Men, a movie that was released in 1957 but is more relevant today than ever. What are the reasons for that?

Also, what counts as evidence? What doesn't? What is your idea of social justice? Is it possible to talk about the characters in this movie without using the words "liberal" and "conservative"?

Matt educates Marcus on the story of Titus Andronicus, how it fits into the canon of the Shakespearean tragedies, and the many reasons that he holds this Julie Taymor movie so dear.

Do the high-minded production design and wardrobe choices in Titus elevate the movie or submarine it?