High-Key Book Club

We're back and we can't stop talking about Crazy Rich Asians! We discuss how this movie came to be, the big pressure that currently falls on projects about minorities to represent everyone, the clash of values between the U.S. and other countries, and how this romantic comedy is refreshing in many unexpected ways. Recorded 8/24/2018.

This episode we're discussing the controversial mid-2000s movie directed by Mike Judge, Idiocracy! Starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews, this movie provides exaggerated commentary about American society and the dangerous path we might very possibly be walking. We discuss the parallels to "Trump's America", the predictions the movie potentially got right, and the technology it didn't quite predict. We also take a dive into it's controversial (super limited) release and why 20th Century Fox wanted to hide this satirical comedy from the public.

On this special episode of HKBC we're talking about the many movies and shows we've been watching independently and together that have not become full podcast episodes! We discuss huge blockbusters like Jurassic World 2, Mission Impossible 6 and Solo, as well as new seasons of reality TV like Queer Eye S2, Drag Race Thailand, America's Next Top Model and Making It. We also talk about some documentary work we've been loving: Won't You Be My Neighbor? and Wild, Wild Country, as well as our newly discovered binge-able sitcom, Brooklyn 99. Finally, we discuss the media we're excited about in the rest of 2018, including Godzilla, A Star Is Born and Wreck-It-Ralph 2. Recorded 8/5/2018.

This episode we're unpacking the variety of themes and social commentary provided in Boots Riley's writer/director debut feature film, Sorry to Bother You! We discuss the freshness of a new perspective that isn't afraid to break the rules of movie-making, the innovations and storytelling risks taken by Riley, and the exaggerated representations that serve to mirror current American society. Recorded 7/29/2018.

This episode is a total blast from the past and reminisce (and cringe) about our middle school days, all triggered by Bo Burnham's painfully accurate feature film debut, Eighth Grade! We go off on many tangents about how Kayla's experience reflects our own, analyze the unconventional parts of this independent movie, and relive this awkward time in our lives. Recorded 7/22/2018

This episode we're discussing the trailblazing new show by Ryan Murphy & co that explores the ball culture scene of 1980s New York, Pose! We discuss each character and their journey through the pilot episode, the many ways Pose is making history, and the inspiration of Paris Is Burning, a documentary currently available on Netflix that was very important in documenting the ball culture of this time period. We also take some time to discuss first impression of Emmy nominations and the controversy surrounding Scarlett Johanssen over the past week. Recorded 7/15/2018.

This episode we analyze our rewatch of The Incredibles and its new sequel Incredibles 2! We discuss how our perspective has shifted by watching these movies with an adult lens, the many parallels and metaphors to real life, and our recommendations and opinions about whether Incredibles 2 was truly done right. We also dedicate some time to the amazing short before Incredibles 2, Bao. We go real deep on this one! Recorded 6/8/2018

This episode we talk about the epic season 10 finale, butterflies and all! Plus, a Rucap of every episode and the journeys of our favorite drag queens. We also dive into the RuPaul's innovation of reality television, the mainstreaming of drag, and why this is the best reality show. It's been quite the journey and we can't wait for season 11! Recorded 6/29/2018

We're wrapping up movie musical month with a more recent musical, La La Land! We discuss our thoughts on the risk of making a musical, whether the A-list cast delivered, and of course the most controversial moment in recent Oscar history. Recorded 6/24/2018

Spoiler alert! In continuation of our Movie Musical Month, we discuss the iconic 1984 movie, Footloose. We initially thought it was a standard movie musical, but after watching it realized it kind of was and kind of wasn't. In this episode we talk about how it's similar to musicals, the comparisons between the 80s and today's conservative administration, whether the 2011 remake did it justice, and the magical charisma of Kevin Bacon. Recorded 6/17/2018