Let's Watch 2 Movies

WE'RE BACK. After spending several weeks in Marvel jail, Mary Ellen and Maddy return to podcasting to address the blood feud that has haunted the entire run of this show: NOLANNN. Our hosts have chosen to analyze The Dark Knight and The Prestige, in that order. Anyway, did you all know that The Dark Knight is a really long movie? This podcast episode is even longer! We're not sorry. (Okay, we're a little sorry. Listen to it in chunks, or something.) Your reward for making it to the end of the episode will be getting to hear Mary Ellen and Maddy lose their minds over the difference (or lack thereof) between the hero Gotham deserves and the hero Gotham needs. Lastly, we refer to this Clickhole parody video analysis of The Dark Knight roughly 600 times in this episode, so you should probably watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaVG4xIwMQw

This episode starts out innocently enough, with Mary Ellen and Maddy comparing Eric Bana's 2003 turn at the Hulk to Edward Norton's later attempt in 2008, in The Incredible Hulk. However, about halfway in, the episode goes completely off the rails as Maddy and Mary Ellen debate why this movie won't let the Hulk have sex. This episode is an abomination, loaded with two different Hulk serums. That's actually a reference to the 2008 Hulk movie, and it's just as gross as it sounds.

Happy Hulkidays and a Hulky New Year! The 2000s brought us not one, but two Hulk movies--and both of them were deemed unsatisfactory. But why? We must use scientific research to find out. And also magic, and our feelings. Mary Ellen and Maddy kick this pairing off with a very giggly analysis of Eric Bana's attempt at the character in the 2003 film Hulk, directed by Ang Lee. This movie....... is funny. And it's not supposed to be. Whoops.

After last week's divisive episode about Birdman, you'll be relieved to hear that Maddy and Mary Ellen both actually enjoyed the movie this week. Been a while since that happened, huh? Our two co-hosts opine about social media, fame, mental illness, art, and Michael Fassbender's biceps in their lengthy analysis of Frank. At the top of the show, they also read some listener mail about The Big Lebowski. As always, you can share your thoughts and fan-art with us at [email protected] — and let us know if you want us to, like, get a Twitter or a Tumblr or something.

Get ready for a SHOWDOWN, because Mary Ellen and Maddy do not see eye to eye when it comes to Birdman. This episode marks the start of another two-movie pairing, with the theme of art and mental illness. They've chosen Birdman and Frank, two movies about those themes, as well as movies about the process of creating art and dealing with the response to it. Sometimes, that response isn't good. That's definitely been the case with Birdman, a notoriously divisive movie. Strap in, folks, because this is our longest ep yet.

This episode lacks its usual energetic verve, because Maddy and Mary Ellen were emotionally exhausted by this movie. We blame THE DUDE. And all of the dudes of the world! After watching The Shawshank Redemption, our co-hosts watched The Big Lebowski, and they didn't care for it. Mary Ellen and Maddy have tried, valiantly, to understand men. Have they succeeded? This episode brings us to our answer: a resounding "no."

After taking a week off to decompress from the results of the U.S. presidential election, Maddy and Mary Ellen have returned to watch two dude-centric movies: The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski. They start out with Shawshank in this week's episode and do their very best to understand men.

Maddy and Mary Ellen have two new movies on the docket once again, and this time, they're starting out with one of the most notorious romances of our generation: Twilight. Strap in for some analysis of "problematic" female fantasies, folks, because they'll be pairing this movie with 50 Shades of Grey next week!