Imitating Art with Don & Chuck

Don and Chuck discover a piece of history they'd previously known nothing about while watching Shaka King's searing tragedy chronicling the assassination of Fred Hampton, the leader of the Chicago Black Panther Party. While he fought to bring peace to his city, his culture and his country, the FBI worked tirelessly to end his hard work and, eventually, his life. Don and Chuck learn the story of Chairman Fred Hampton, Bill O'Neal and the other freedom fighters and discuss their legacy and what we can learn from them to make things better for black lives, the poor and the oppressed in our own time.

Music by Nathan Terry

Who is the Wolf of Wall Street? Turns out, he’s more than just a Leonardo DiCaprio meme. This week, Don and Chuck make their first foray in Martin Scorsese films to find out why it’s trending again seven years after its release. As it turns out, it’s because rich people dicking around with other people’s money is always topical. Join our hosts as they discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, the ways in which the legal system favors the rich, and why Cristin Milioti keeps getting so much work as they dissect the Oscar-nominated film.

25 years ago, Robin Williams and Nathan Lane came together with a fantastic backing cast to bring us the wonderfully charming and funny film, The Birdcage. Joined by Alejandro (Philadelphia's 19th-funniest comedian), Don and Chuck dive into what made them laugh, why Val was the unexpected antagonist of the film, and why Chuck is wrong to disparage Robin Williams' moustache. As an added bonus, hear Alejandro (rightfully) cancel Chuck!

Follow Alejandro at twitter.com/jajajarule

Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit is the heartwarming coming-of-age story about a young, cowardly, fanatical Hitler Youth boy encountering the greatest monster he's ever known - a young Jewish girl. Waititi masterfully blends genres together to deliver a wildly funny and earnestly poignant film that has garnered accolades from some of the greatest film institutions in the world. And also from Don and Chuck. This week, our host discuss personal freedom, the problem with echo chambers, and confronting your own biases - an issue Don gets to deal with in real time!

Music by Nathan Terry

Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story explores a divorce that becomes messier and messier as the two involved (Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver) become more and more hurt. It is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Don and Chuck relate their own experiences in romance as they dive into the film's themes of broken communication, unrealistic expectations and emotional revenge (okay... that last one just occurred to us in the writing of this description). Tune in to find out why Noah Baumbach's Oscar-nominated screenplay tells us more about Don than it does about the movie!

Soul asks a lot of big questions without giving a lot of big answers - but that's why Don and Chuck are here. Come listen to the answers to questions such as, "What was Soul's climax missing?", "What sound does Chuck make when he sees pizza on TV?", and "What channel did MTV used to be?" 

Soul drives home that life is all about the small things, but Don and Chuck find many more lessons to discuss in Pixar's newest animated film starring Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey.

Music by Nathan Terry

Sometimes, reviewing a movie is easy: talk a bit about the characters, discuss the things you like, and dissect what does and doesn't work about the plot.

Don and Chuck wrap up everyone's favorite year by turning their eyes on the podcast and themselves. They discuss favorite episodes and plans for the future of the show as we move into the new year. As a bonus, the two play a game where they pitch movie ideas to each other based on common phrases! Thanks for listening, stay safe, and have a great 2021, everybody!

Music by Nathan Terry

Dickory dock, it's the holiday season! This week, Don and Chuck celebrate the Yuletide with the modern Christmas classic, Elf, starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel. In addition to this hilarious, sweet movie, our hosts discuss their Christmas traditions (spoiler alert: Chuck has far more), Jon Favreau's apparent love of traditional Christmas movie imagery, and the power of infectious happiness.

Music by Nathan Terry