Initial Thoughts

This podcast will self-destruct in approximately as long as it takes to thoroughly discuss our Initial Thoughts on Brian De Palma's 1996 blockbuster starring one Tom Cruise. How does it age? Is Phoebe a spy? Should we have called this Mission: ImPodible? Find out!

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Music by White Bat Audio.

Excerpted from our mega-episode on Oppenheimer, these are our initial thoughts on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' picks for the upcoming Oscar ceremony. Enjoy!

With an epic episode to accompany this epic film, Nathaniel and Phoebe get their arms around Christopher Nolan's latest, the three-hour biographical box-office behemoth Oppenheimer.

But that's not all. Our intrepid duo also parse through this week's nominations announcement by the one and only Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - better known as The Oscars - and weigh in with their gut reactions, biggest relief, favorite nominees, and dream nominations they would have added in (25:49).

But that's also not all! Joining us for a wide-ranging conversation on this film is lifelong Boston resident Michael Zwiauer. The intrepid trio address the film, its cast, its relevance, Mr. Nolan, and each other, covering such topics as how directing Batman compares to unleashing nuclear weaponry into the world, whether Phoebe is better at recognizing sound cues than men, why you should live in a culturally important city, and in which of the film's many characters our hosts most saw themselves (55:01).

Many Initial Thoughts to be had this week - tune in!

Get busy living, or get busy podding. Thirty years on from its release, The Shawshank Redemption has gained an astonishing reputation for its greatness - and Phoebe and Nathaniel have thoughts about that. Listen to them!

Stay tuned 'til the end for a genuine on-air surprise...

Topics discussed include the film's legacy, the most affecting scenes, its relation to Stephen King, whether Christ was dumb, and many other unrelated films for some reason. We hope you're enjoying these Initial Thoughts!

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Music by White Bat Audio.

Whether you think of it as the all-time Dad Film, a uniquely lighthearted prison-camp adventure, one of Steve McQueen's finest hours, or just a swinging nostalgic time, Phoebe and Nathaniel have opinions on The Great Escape!

For an Initial Thoughts first, as well, neither of us had seen this film before, so it's doubly initial! Do enjoy.

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Music by White Bat Audio.

We kick off 2024 with a super-sized episode, featuring what many have called The Greatest Film of All Time - Orson Welles' 1941 directorial debut, Citizen Kane. How's that for some Film Canon!

Joining us to dive into all things C.F.K., is a great friend, actor, intimacy coordinator, and major cineaste Richard McIver. Nathaniel, Phoebe, and Richard talk through the film's accomplishments and complexities, its legacy, whether it suffers from 'Beatles Syndrome' and more. It's one of the most-discussed pieces of work ever, but there's something for both seasoned film-heads and those brand-new to Welles! So listen in!

Wishing everyone a happy new year - well, everyone who subscribes to Initial Thoughts, that is! Enjoy.

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Music by White Bat Audio.

Happy New Year! Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Let’s find out! To celebrate a film that memorably uses New Year’s Eve this New Year’s, Phoebe and Nathaniel watch When Harry Met Sally and hear Phoebe’s Initial Thoughts!

Listen in for Meg Ryan talk, love talk, Phoebe’s opinion on beards, and Nathaniel’s broad theory about romantic comedies. For auld lang syne, dear listeners! 

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Music by White Bat Audio.

Merry Happy everyone - it’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights. It’s time to watch The Muppets Christmas Carol with Phoebe and Nathaniel on Initial Thoughts tonight! Whether you’re a long-time Dickens fan and hungry for some sweet-hearted nostalgia, or a surprisingly intense Muppets purist who wants to pay tribute to Jim Henson’s imagination (as one of us turns out to be), listen in for some wintry fun.

Then! We count up our Top Five Festive Season Movies -  and both Phoebe and Nathaniel have some surprising recommendations for the holidays (1:02:40). 

We discuss where The Muppets Christmas Carol is coming from, how it’s aged, what Michael Caine was up to, the meaning of Christmas, how Cillian Murphy and Christian Bale fit into all this, and whether the film, to quote David Ehrlich, can be called another “holiday film that’s tried to make some money by selling audiences on the magic of giving it away.” Also we briefly resemble a right-wing talk show argument. All this and more, for your festive ears, this week.

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Music by White Bat Audio.

Border crossings, ballistic vests, betrayals and Bernthals collide in 2015’s Sicario, starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, and two supporting actors very dear to our hearts. Directed by Denis Villneuve and scripted by the emperor of Montana himself, Taylor Sheridan, this is the film that may finally shake the foundations of Initial Thoughts to its very core.

Also, “it’s girl’s night, motherfucker” — hear that in context, this week.

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Music by White Bat Audio.