Maximum Film!

Today we’re looking at the 2024 period drama, Queer, directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs of the same name. Plus, we are looking at other straight action stars who have portrayed queer characters on screen. Senior Culture Writer for Newsweek, H. Alan Scott, joins us.

What’s Good:

Alonso - A City Full of Hawks by Stephen Rebello

Drea - Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

H. Alan - Hashbrowns

Ify - Hating Spirit Airlines

This Week's ITIDICs:

1. 82nd annual Golden Globes Announced!
2. The Best Movies of 2024, According to John Waters
3. Olivia Wilde Talks Choosing Art Over Audience Approval: “I Don’t Make Movies So People Love Them”

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Seasons Greetings From Cherry Lane
2. Christmas On Call
3. That Christmas
4. The Holiday Club

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Kraven the Hunter

Drea - September 5

H.Alan - The Birdcage

Ify - Holiday Hornyfest at Vidiots this month! See links below to every screening!

Plugs!

Come see Holiday Hornyfest: A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy hosted by Ify! Today, December 13th at Vidiots in Los Angeles!

Come see Holiday Hornyfest: Shortbus hosted by Ify, December 21st at Vidiots in Los Angeles!

Come see Holiday Hornyfest: Bound hosted by Ify, December 28th at Vidiots in Los Angeles!

Come see Holiday Hornyfest: Magic Mike XXL hosted by Ify, December 30th at Vidiots in Los Angeles!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies
 

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Today we are looking at 2024’s hit musical movie adaptation, Wicked: Part I, directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. Plus we hear from the listener looking for movie recs while they recover from surgery. Author Paul Miles Schneider (The Silver Shoes trilogy) joins us.

What’s Good:

Alonso - BFI Classic’s 3 Women by Justin Wyatt

Drea - Spirit Awards 2024 nominations

Paul - Thanksgiving up in the Pacific Northwest

Ify - Thanksgiving meal (Al Pastor Turkey)

This Week's ITIDICs:

1. Thanksgiving Box Office Record: ‘Moana 2’ Scores Dazzling $225 Million Debut, ‘Wicked’ Adds Huge $118 Million

2.  Sebastian Stan’s Variety ‘Actors on Actors’ Halted Because No Other Talent Wants to Talk About Trump

3. ‘Wolfs’ Director Jon Watts Tells Apple: No Sequel, I Don’t Trust You

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Holiday Touchdown
2. To Have & To Holiday
3. Christmas Under The Lights
4. A 90s Christmas
5. Deck The Walls

Staff Picks:

Alonso - The Gathering (1977)

Drea - Hard Truths

Paul - Miracle of Marcelino (in Spanish)

Ify - The Wiz

Plugs!

Get the Silver Shoes trilogy from Paul Miles Schneider!

Los Angeles! Come see Alonso, this Saturday, December 7th at Vidiots doing a book signing and introducing the Hitchcock film, Rope, at 4:15pm!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

We are looking at 2024’s Gladiator II, a sequel to the original 2000 film, also directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Connie Nielsen. Plus we look at the Top Turkeys of 2024 and our favorite Legacy Sequels. Writer and comedian, Kevin Avery (The Great North, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), joins us.

What’s Good:

Alonso - Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania under the Mirror Ball by Frank Decaro

Drea - Embracing sneakers

Kevin - Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

Ify - Kendrick Lamar’s new album, GNX

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Saint Nick of Bethlehem
2. A Novel Noel
3. Unwrapping Christmas: Lily's Destiny
4. Mistletoe Murders
5. Christmas in the Spotlight

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Nutcrackers

Drea - Maria/Maria by Callas

Kevin - Crimson Tide

Ify - Red One

Plugs!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

We are looking at the 2024 Netflix adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson play, The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washington, starring John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, and Samuel L. Jackson. Plus we take a music-movie quiz written by Steven Ray Morris. Emmy-winning film and television producer, Shelby Stone, joins us.

What’s Good:

Drea - Celebrity Look Alike Competitions

Shelby - Not Snowing or Freezing on the East Coast/Her pets

Alonso - A Season for Soft Foods (A can of Campbells’ Cream of Chicken Soup)

ITIDIC:
1. Several high-profile filmmakers pull their films out of Poland’s Camerimage Film Festival following a Misogynist op-ed written by the festival’s founder and head Marek Żydowicz.

- https://deadline.com/2024/11/coralie-fargeat-the-substance-camerimage-marek-zydowicz-women-cinematographers-1236178278/

- https://www.thewrap.com/camerimage-festival-jury-we-wholeheartedly-support-gender-inclusivity/

- https://deadline.com/2024/11/steve-mcqueen-blitz-camerimage-film-festival-2024-marek-zydowicz-female-cinematographers-1236174179/

2. Anna Kendrick Felt ‘Gross’ Making Money Off ‘Woman of the Hour,’ Donated All Her Pay to Anti-Violence Charities: ‘Felt Like the Least I Could Do’

3. Pop-Loving Beauty Brand E.l.f. Cosmetics Launches Production Arm

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Festival of Trees
2. Tis the Season to be Irish
3. Christmas with the Singhs
4. Jingle Bell Run
5. Confessions of a Christmas Letter
6. Hot Frosty

Staff Picks:

Drea - Flow

Shelby - Nightbitch

Alonso - Carnage for Christmas

Plugs!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

We are taking a look at A24’s 2024 spiritual horror film, Heretic, starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East about two Mormon missionaries whose faith is tested by a seemingly awkward, but polite man. Plus we look at more movies about playing games. Oh No, Ross and Carrie's Ross Blocher joins us.

What’s Good:

Alonso - Direct action and act locally

Drea - SKINCARE (medicube collagen overnight wrap and peel facial mask pack!)

Ross - Moana 2

Ify - Flyover Comedy Festival in St. Louis this weekend!

ITIDIC:

1. ‘Wicked’ Dolls: Mattel Apologizes for Mistakenly Linking to Adult Porn Site on Packaging

2. Mubi Cancels Turkish Film Festival Over Istanbul City Hall ‘Queer’ Ban

3. Sean Baker Says the Fight for Theatrical Before Streaming Is Now a Permanent Battle

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Red One
2. Five Golden Rings
3. Santa Tell Me
4. Holidazed (series)
5. Unwrapping Christmas
6. Mistletoe Murders

Staff Picks:

Drea - Conclave

Alonso - Meet Me Next Christmas

Ross - Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Ify - SLC Punk

Plugs!

Oh No, Ross And Carrie on Facebook!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

We are taking a look at the new Steve McQueen film Blitz, the 2024 historical war drama starring Saoirse Ronan as Rita, a single mother, working in a bomb factory, and introducing Elliot Heffernan as her son, George. Plus we look at other films where characters go on a journey to find their way home again.

What’s Good:

Alonso - Phyllis theme song

Drea - “John” sign, NYC marathon

Ify - Landmark Theatres 
 

ITIDIC:

1. Jennifer Lopez & Anthony Ramos Mattel Animated Movie ‘Bob The Builder’ Heading To Amazon MGM Studios – The Dish

2. China’s Hishow Acquires ‘Megalopolis’; Ramps Up Slate Of Prestige Festival Titles For China Release

3. Hallmark Holiday Stars Won’t Be Ignored by Hollywood Anymore: ‘I Treat Each Production Like a Martin Scorsese Film’

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Best Christmas Pageant Ever
2. Sudden Case of Christmas
3. My Sweet Austrian Holiday
4. Our Holiday Story
5. Holiday Mismatch

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Christmas Eve in Miller's Point

Drea - Their Finest/My Old Ass

Ify -  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Plugs!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

We are taking a look at Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, the new Netflix movie focusing on the true story about serial killer Rodney Alcala’s 1978 appearance on The Dating Game. Plus we look at other true crime stories dramatized on film. Lucy Fitzgerald from Wine & Crime joins us.

What’s Good:

Alonso - End of Daylight Savings Time

Drea - Memorizing Geography

Lucy - Going to Italy

Ify - Magic-Con
 

ITIDIC:

1. Newsom calls for big boost in funding for California’s film and TV tax credit, throwing Hollywood a lifeline
2. Nicole Kidman Says She’s Acting in So Many Projects Because ‘I Can Create Jobs for People’ and Help Newcomers in Hollywood
3. ‘Oregon Trail’ Action-Comedy Movie In Development at Apple

Christmas Movie Minute:

1. Hallmark Mystery
2. Christmas Charade
3. Five Year Christmas Party
4. See You Next Christmas

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Chasing Chasing Amy

Drea - A Real Pain

Lucy - True Crime Bullshit & Somewhere In The Pines

Ify -  Don’t Breathe

Plugs!

Listen to Wine & Crime

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Anora is a 2024 romantic-comedy (?) written and directed by Sean Baker (Tangerine, The Florida Project), starring Mikey Madison as stripper Anora Mikheeva, and follows her beleaguered romance with Vanya (Mark Eidelstein), the son of a Russian Oligarch. All that and a discussion of other films portraying sex work.

What’s Good:

Alonso - Christmas Movie Magic: The Game!

Drea - A freshly, deep-cleaned fan (Doing the one small thing).

Ify - Benadryl and When We Were Young
 

ITIDIC:

1. Alien: Romulus is Bringing Its Terror to VHS in December
2. Meta Teams with Blumhouse to Test Movie Gen AI Tool
3. Who Needs Critics When You Have Influencers?

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Piece By Piece

Drea - Compartment No. 6

Ify -  Smile 2

Plugs!

Come see The Fog and hear Alonso talk about it on October 27th at The Frida Cinema!

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Farageat, starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid. The film follows a recently displaced celebrity who decides to take a secret drug that temporarily creates a younger version of herself with unexpected side effects. All that and a discussion of films that make you squirm. The one and only Katya Zamolodchikova joins us.

What’s Good:

Alonso - Christmas Movie Ultimate Trivia Book by Neal E. Fischer

Drea - Friend Trip!

Katya - Woman of the Hour

Ify - Biqtch Puddin Substance drag performance

ITIDIC:

1. Dueling Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce-inspired films set to debut this fall on Lifetime and Hallmark
2. Harrison Ford Says Avoiding Marvel Roles is "Silly" When MCU Films Provide "Good Experiences for an Audience," Calls the Death of Movie Stars "Rubbish"
3. Elon Musk accused of copying designs by I, Robot director

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Basketcase

Drea - Anora

Katya - Candyman (1992)

Ify -  Margaret Qualley

Plugs!

Go see Katya live in your city (Trixie And Katya Live)!

This weekend, see Alonso during the Deck The Hallmark marathon!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Joker: Folie à Deux is the 2024 follow-up to 2019’s Joker. Directed again by Todd Phillips (of The Hangover fame originally), it stars Joaquin Phoenix (reprising the Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck), joined by musician-turned-actor Lady Gaga, playing the iconic comic book character Lee Quinzel aka Harley Quinn. All that and discussion of other musical moments in “none-musicals.”

What’s Good:

Alonso - Sally Field gets real.

Drea - LA Voterguide 2024

Ify - Corn telethon to fight Project 2025
 

ITIDIC:

1. Airline apologises after R-rated Dakota Johnson film played to all passengers
2. Toxic Fandom: How Hollywood Is Battling Fans Who Are ‘Just Out for Blood’ — From Social Media Boot Camps to Superfan Focus Groups
3. Disney’s ‘Princess Diaries 3’ Gets Royal Treatment, Sets Adele Lim As Director

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Terrifier 3

Drea - Casa Bonita Mi Amor

Ify - Chicago (2002)

Plugs!

Purchase Corpses, Fools and MonstersThe History and Future of Transness in Cinema

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher