Michael and Us

In the penultimate episode of STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, "K&R Part 3," Aaron Sorkin wrestles with the memory of Bill Maher being cancelled after 9/11, and asks why a just and merciful god even needs you to pray to Him. Aaron Sorkin is saving some of his best stuff for last! PLUS: Checking in on the God's Not Dead franchise and the comedy career of Chris Cillizza.

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/109920511

Tony Buba chronicled the decline of his hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania in a series of acclaimed documentaries that elevated him to national notoriety. But in the extraordinary documentary/fiction hybrid LIGHTNING OVER BRADDOCK: A RUST BOWL FANTASY (1988), he asks what it means when his success is tied to so many people's poverty.

Tony Buba's films are hard to find on streaming, so why not just get this Blu-Ray? You'll be glad you did - https://kinolorber.com/product/lightning-over-braddock-and-collected-shorts-the-films-of-tony-buba-blu-ray

Elon Musk's Elden Ring tweet - https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1528955104463814656

As STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP continues its slow descent, Aaron Sorkin continues to drift away from TV sketch-comedy and back to what he knows. Episode 20, "K&R Part 2," sees the gang lashing out at journalism while also making a tortured defense of... the White House Press Secretary?

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/548-studio-sucky-109590201

In Barry Levinson and David Mamet's WAG THE DOG (1997), a political spin-doctor teams with a movie producer to fake a war and save an incumbent president. You've heard of manufacturing consent, but to what extent can Hollywood and Washington manufacture reality? We're joined by Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison of the American Prestige podcast to discuss.

Check out American Prestige - https://www.americanprestigepod.com/

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

Tom's brother is still held hostage in Afghanistan, Jordan is still in the hospital, and Matt & Harriet are still arguing about religion in episode 19 of STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, "K&R Part 1." But this is all a mere appetizer to us FINALLY getting around to reading Aaron Sorkin's instantly-legendary op-ed about how the Democrats should run Mitt Romney.

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/446-studio-sucky-109103776

It's a politics-only episode, because we've got a big subject: it's time to say goodbye to your favorite American president, Joe Biden. We welcome back Branko Marcetic to tally #46's success and failures, and do a vibe-check on the Democratic Party following the ouster of its standard-bearer. PLUS: Branko reports on the Republican National Convention.

"Joe Biden Wanted This" by Branko Marcetic - https://jacobin.com/2024/07/biden-2024-dropout-gaza-legacy

"How Joe Biden Became a Steadfast Israel Defender" by Branko Marcetic - https://jacobin.com/2024/07/joe-biden-israel-support-history

"Never Forget How Many Times the Liberal Establishment Saved Biden’s Arse" by Luke Savage - https://novaramedia.com/2024/07/23/never-forget-how-many-times-the-liberal-establishment-saved-bidens-ass/

"Why Biden finally quit" - https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/21/why-biden-dropped-out-00170106

Banned in 16 countries! So sickening it can only be real! In this special documentary episode Will goes on a journey through the history of the Mondo movie, from MONDO CANE to FACES OF DEATH and beyond.

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/544-history-of-108683201

In 2005, the Clinton family's own foundation created a DVD compilation of times when Bill and Hillary brought the funny. We discuss A TIME TO LAUGH: THE CLINTONS' HUMOR (2005), and glean a little bit of insight into how the former First Family view themselves. PLUS: From an assassination attempt of the former U.S. president to a coup attempt on the current one, we've got a lot of news to catch up on.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

What do you do when you're stuck in that limbo period before your poorly-rated show has been cancelled? For Aaron Sorkin, you work through your feelings in your art. This week we discuss Episode 18 of STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, "Breaking News."

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/542-studio-sucky-108277667

Social media has been full of smiling genocidiers lately, so it's a good time to revisit THE ACT OF KILLING (2012). Joshua Oppenheimer's experimental documentary about the legacy of the Indonesian mass killings asks: What would it take to prick a mass murderer's conscience? And how does violence linger in the human soul? PLUS: So, have you heard about this guy Joe Biden?

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

"The 'Liberal World Order' Was Built In Blood" by Vincent Bevins - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/opinion/sunday/united-states-cold-war.html