Director Kate Beecroft made her debut feature after meeting and living with a singular family, and then building a script and feature film around their lives – with them as the stars. The resulting film, EAST OF WALL won the Audience Award at the (ahem) Sundance Film Festival. Collider’s Taylor Gates joins us to discuss the movie, and to daydream about what kind of movie we’d set at some of our personal favorite real-world locations.

What’s Good
Alonso - Pumpkin Spice Season Creep/Laughing Cow Pumpkin Spice Cheese Wedges (in principle)
Drea - Chris Ware USPS Stamps
Taylor - Renee Rapp’s Bite Me
Kevin - Tracy Bonham live w/Chris and Adrienne Woods; Silver Lake sightings

Airplane Jive scene (watch at your own risk!) 

Physical Media merch!

ITIDIC

1. Disney’s Marvel Pulling Out of Georgia
2. Anna Faris and Regina Hall Return for Wayans’ Scary Movie Reboot

Staff Picks
Drea - Relay
Alonso - Souleymane’s Story
Taylor - Private Life
Kevin - F1 The Movie

Linoleum Knife Presents CLUE on August 24

Taylor on Collider and Fanversation

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

**We have new PHYSICAL MEDIA merch! Check it out at maxfunstore.com**

Everything old is freaky again, and vice verse, with this late-breaking sequel to the 2003 version of Freaky Friday. Prolific actor/comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub is our prestigious guest to take a look at Lindsay, Jamie Lee, and a whole cast of new and returning folks game to get Freakier. Then we have fun talking about best and worst sequel titles.

What’s Good
Alonso - personalized coupons from Ralphs
Drea - first female umpire in the MLB
Mary Lynn - a day at Mt. Fuji
Kevin - satisfaction from household item restock

ITIDIC

1. Charlie Kaufman’s New Movie Will Go Directly to Kanopy
2. WB Sets Wiig/Hill Comedy CUT OFF to Debut Against Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY
3. Hamilton Will Screen in Cinemas Next Month

Staff Picks
Alonso - The High Note
Drea - Sketch
Mary Lynn - All of Us Strangers
Kevin - Weapons

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

THE FLOP HOUSE's Dan McCoy joins us to consider the power of taking stupidity very seriously. Then, a dishy movie quiz about on-set meetings that led to off-set romances.

What’s Good
Alonso- Mark Rappaport, Book of Dreams
Drea - Midwest trip, “Schumers,” and great chip flavors
Dan - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Collected Screenplays 1
Kevin - Trip to Lake Arrowhead

ITIDIC

1. MARRIAGE STORY Fight Scene Being Used to Scare Off Wolves
2. Las Vegas Sphere’s Manipulation of The Wizard of Oz Raises Questions
3. Original Star Wars Will Return to Cinemas for Its 50th Anniversary in 2027

On-Screen/Off Screen Romances Letterboxd list

Pamela Anderson in the Criterion Closet

Staff Picks
Alonso - Billy Joel: And So It Goes
Drea - Sorry, Baby
Dan - Together
Kevin - The Incredible Mr Limpet

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Is the fourth time the charm when it comes to Fantastic Four movies? We’ve assembled our own fearsome foursome – including graphic novelist and comics writer/artist Sina Grace – to debate all the charms of the modem MCU’s First Steps into Earth 828. Then we’ll celebrate some of our favorite character actors and promote them to center stage

What's Good
Alonso - Voluspa candles (Drea references this SNL song)
Drea - Mom’s “4” punchline
Sina - Lady Gaga
Kevin - Meeting Adam Stein (and seeing Ify!) at Comic-Con

ITIDIC

1. Coyote vs. Acme Gets a Theatrical Release Date
2. Air Bud Returns in 2026
3. Fortnite announces tie-in with upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson’s Film

Staff Picks
Drea - Memoir of a Snail
Alonso - Diciannove
Sina - The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Kevin - Avengers: Endgame

Leave us a message at MaximumFun.org/hotline

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood For Love (which some are calling the fifth best movie ever made, or at least the fourth best this century?) was released 25 years ago, and anniversary screenings of a new 4k restoration have been happening all over. We've got critic John Powers (Fresh Air, Vogue), author of WKW: The Cinema of Wong Kar-Wai with us to help us take an inside look at a movie that continues to enchant and haunt audiences through the decades.

What’s Good
Alonso - Boorman and the Devil to premiere at Venice (and Selena Gomez Oreos)
Drea - pomodoro method (for Spirit Awards spreadsheet mode)
John - Chris Marker: Immemory Gutenberg Version
Kevin - ComiCon 2025

ITIDIC

1. Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ Sells Out in IMAX a Year Ahead of Release
2. Neon Promoting ‘Together’ With a “Free Vegas Wedding” Contest
3. Pee-Wee’s Red Bike Acquired by the Alamo

Staff Picks
Alonso - We All Loved Each Other So Much
Drea - Familiar Touch
John - Cloud
Kevin - Dancer in the Dark

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Actor and comedian Michael Hartney -- a Superman guy to his core - joins us to discuss James Gunn's much-anticipated, highly-speculated upon take on the world's most famous superhero. Then, in honor of Krypto (the Superdog, of course) we nominated best (goodest?) movie dogs to the Hall of Excellence.

What’s Good
Alonso - Dark Chocolate Oreos
Drea - gift article links on Bluesky
Michael - Superman discourse
Kevin - finding his Tracy Bonham album (Sky Too Wide)

ITIDIC
Final Sundance in Park City Will Honor Its History in Utah and Founder Redford
Alamo Founder Launches Private Movie Experience in New York City
The Devil Wears Prada Sequel Set for Next Spring 

HoE Nominees
Alonso - Asta (The Thin Man)
Drea - Dug (Up)
Michael - Old Yeller 
Kevin - E. Buzz (Poltergeist)

Staff Picks
Drea - Life After
Alonso - The Damned (2024)
Michael - Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Kevin - Hero at Large

Michael's Characters Welcome Patreon

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

It’s week two of our inadvertent two-week celebration of the post-apocalypse on film. This time around, Danielle Deadwyler and Michael Greyeyes head up a family fighting to protect their land and their lives from murderously hungry intruders in 40 ACRES. NPR Pop-Culture Happy Hour’s co-host Aisha Harris joins us to discuss this feature debut from RT Thorne.

What’s Good?
Alonso - Making pignoli cookies
Drea - Wedge Live Cat Tour
Aisha - Finally falling for Love Island USA
Kevin - Tinder Box by James Andrew Miller

ITIDIC

1. John M. Chu to direct Mattel’s Hot Wheels movie
2. Behind-the-scenes creative meddling on Pixar’s Elio

List of “Down on the Farm” Movie Quiz Movies

Staff Picks
Drea - Sovereign
Alonso - Before We Forget
Aisha - The Annihilation of Fish
Kevin - The Girl with All the Gifts

All of Aisha’s links can be found at AishaHarris.com 

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

23 years later, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland bring the rage virus back to life with their sequel to 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later. Actor and director Graham Skipper guests this week to talk about the trilogy, Alpha prosthetics, and coming of age in a zombie UK. Then, we discuss the dream 23-years-later sequels we want to see.

What’s Good
Alonso - Chef Alison Roman
Drea -"Hi Andrea!" and Drea's Close Personal Friend Lucy Liu
Kevin - Trader Joe's Brazil Nut Body Scrub

ITIDIC

• Denis Villeneuve to Direct Next Bond
• New York Times Names ‘Parasite’ the Best Film of 21 Century (So Far)

Staff Picks
Alonso - M3GAN 2.0
Drea- Ponyboi
Kevin - Rammbock: Berlin Undead

Follow Graham Skipper on Instagram @skipstagraham

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Film critic Katie Walsh joins us to take a close look at the various desirable qualities of MATERIALISTS, the sophomore feature from director Celine Song. Then, we talk about movies that didn’t quite match what their trailers were selling.

What’s Good
Alonso - Sick and Dirty by Michael Koresky
Katie - Love Island “I’m a mommy” meme
Kevin - full-on astrology chart

ITIDIC

• 48 Films Awarded Tax Credits To Shoot in California
• Megalopolis is Going on a Roadshow
• Robert Eggers Developing ‘A Christmas Carol’ Adaptation at WB

Staff Picks
Alonso - Sorry, Baby
Katie - Christiane F
Kevin - The Hunt for Red October

Details for Alonso's screening of Ma Vie en Rose on June 28

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

In honor of Pride Month, we’re taking a look back at an important title from queer cinema history. Our guest, Caden Mark Gardner, is the co-author (with Willow Maclay) of Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema – he picked this Vincente Minnelli classic for us to watch! Then, we choose which flawed movies we’d edit (and how we’d amend them) to make them work for us.

You can stream Tea and Sympathy across lots of platforms, or check your local library. 

What’s Good
Alonso - Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 (sort of)
Drea - Katya in the Criterion Closet
Caden - dog ownership (and traveling to LA for event)
Kevin - first hot dog in a while, best ever

ITIDIC

• Summer of 1956 will be a big movie season (Erskine Johnson)
• “Robert Rich” (secret alias of a blacklisted Dalton Trumbo) is Nominated for Best Screenwriter for The Brave One

Staff Picks
Alonso - The Cobweb
Drea - The Power of the Dog
Caden - Vulcanizador
Kevin - Blazing Saddles

LA Folks, Check out Alonso and Caden’s series “Taking Pride” with American Cinematheque! See and learn about some great films, and get your books signed.

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With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher