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

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

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

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

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!

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

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

Will & Harper is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Josh Greenbaum and follows Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as the duo made a 17-day road trip across the United States discussing Harper’s transition, and their friendship. All that and discussion of other iconic friendships in cinema. Film Critic and Essayist, Willow Maclay joins us!

What’s Good:

Alonso - Texas State Fair

Drea - Free Covid tests

Willow - Spooky double features at The Brattle on October 8th and 9th

Ify - Wasteland Festival

ITIDIC:

1. James Cameron Joins Board of Stability AI in Coup for Tech Firm
2. SAG-AFTRA Launches Bid to Organize Intimacy Coordinators
3. Lionsgate Offering Employees Voluntary Severance Amid “Disrupted Business Environment” 

Staff Picks:

Alonso - Tea With The Dames

Drea - It's What's Inside

Willow - The Silence of The Lambs

Ify - The Substance

Plugs!

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

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

After undergoing facial-reconstructive surgery, Edward becomes fixated on an actor in a stage production based on his former life. That’s the setup for A Different Man starring Sebastian Stan, written and directed by Aaron Schimberg. All that and a discussion of best plays-within-films from movie history. Writer and film critic Kristen Lopez joins us!

What’s Good:

Alonso - Kelly Bishop, The Third Gilmore Girl

Drea - zackfox.com

Kristen - finally ready to start Spooky Season

Ify - Ranting for a good cause (fundraising for Ysabel Jorado campaign)

ITIDIC:

1. Major Cineplexes Plan $2 Billion Upgrade
2. Magic: the Gathering Animated Series Hits the Restart Button with New Showrunner
3. Saiorse Ronan Could Make Oscar History

Staff Picks:

Alonso - In the Summers

Drea - Rez Ball

Kristen - The Wild Robot

Ify - The Substance

kristenklopez.com

Ticklish Business

Plugs!
See In The Summers

Watch Rez Ball

Watch Hollywood Black
Watch The Mirror Game
See Alonso in Dallas with The Last of Sheila (9/26)
Watch Drea’s A New York Story

Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

An 18 year old scores a phone number...for herself at 39. That's the soft sci-fi hook of Megan Park's second movie, a coming of age story that is very much of this era, even if it has its eyes on the future. All that and a discussion of best and worst older/younger character casting choices. Plus, big life news from Producer Marissa, who joins in as an all-episode guest this time around.

What’s Good
Alonso - Agatha All Along
Drea - Moo Dang the baby pygmy hippo in Thailand
Marissa - English Teacher
Ify - painting Warhammer guys and thinking

ITIDIC
Sundance Narrows Down Its List of Potential Venues to 3 Cities
Tyler the Creator Making His Movie Debut in Josh Safdie’s A24 Table Tennis Movie

Staff Picks
Drea - His Three Daughters
Alonso - Seconds
Marissa - Between the Temples
Ify - Freaky Friday (2003)

Plugs!
Listen to Feeling Seen
Watch The Mirror Game
Listen to Sweet Valley Diaries
See Alonso in Dallas with The Last of Sheila (9/26)
Watch Drea's A New York Story

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher

We go into a whole song and dance this week over Tim Burton's new BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE,. with Riley Silverman as our special guest. Then we'll remember (and suggest) some movies that made/would make for pretty bizarre Saturday Morning cartoons.

What’s Good
Alonso - Big Ice Cubes™
Drea - Ross Taylor’s NYC exhibit, A knowing History
Riley - Reading streak
Ify - Chris Tucker’s protection of his car

ITIDIC
a.) Almodovar’s Latest Wins the Golden Lion
b). Happy Gilmore 2 is “Officially In Production”
c). James Earl Jones Passes Away at 93

Staff Picks
Drea - ROBOT DREAMS
Alonso - CLOSE YOUR EYES
Riley - ELEMENTAL
Ify - SCREAM

Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or Letterboxd

With
Kevin Avery
Drea Clark
Alonso Duralde

Produced by Marissa Flaxbart
Sr. Producer Laura Swisher