George Orwell's popularity is at a new high in the post-Trump era, and he's been claimed by both the left and right. We discuss NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR (1984, Michael Radford's feature-film adaptation of Orwell's most famous novel, and try to rescue a self-described socialist from the Dave Rubins of the world.

Listen to us discuss Orwell's writing in episode #190 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/190-lion-and-44728064

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/79406807

We discuss a movie that has, for some unknowable reason, been much-requested by our loyal listeners. Will has seen it many times. Luke had never seen it before. It hails from a very different era of blockbuster filmmaking. Folks... it's SUPER MARIO BROS. (1993).

Abbas Kiarostami's masterpiece CLOSE-UP (1990) used the true story of a poor man who impersonated a famous filmmaker to meditate on class, identity, and the cinematic apparatus. PLUS: the slow erosion of universal healthcare, and checking in on Fox News post-Trump.

Some topics are too vast, too vital for us to cover on our own. Today, we address one such topic. We invited Jacobin Magazine's Meagan Day and Branko Marcetic for a roundtable discussion of EMPIRE RECORDS (1995). We proffer some theories about why this attempt to hit the Gen X zeitgeist actually resonated more strongly with millennials, and how its depiction of alt-culture proved life-changing for at least one of the panelists.

Our previous symposium on "You've Got Mail" - https://soundcloud.com/michael-and-us/176-youve-got-mail-a-michael-us-symposium-w-meagan-day-and-branko-marcetic

Meagan at the Oxford Union - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEnqmgVaOjc&ab_channel=OxfordUnion

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/404-boy-in-78936344

We look back on the prototypical modern viral media phenomenon: the "Balloon Boy" hoax of 2009. After bingeing about 90 minutes' worth of MSNBC coverage, we discuss how the Balloon Boy both presaged and diverged from the sorts of flash-in-the-pan viral sensations that would dominate the next 14 years. PLUS: fiery hot takes on the sudden resignation of Toronto Mayor John Tory.

The amateur documentary MY YANG GANG DIARY (2021) gives us opportunity to look back on the presidential candidacy of Andrew Yang. We discuss how the "Not left, not right, but forward" candidate offered a vision of radical centrism.

"What Happened to Andrew Yang?" by Akela Lacy - https://theintercept.com/2021/08/15/andrew-yang-new-york-mayor/

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/78564941

On February 7, Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union to a new congress. A little bit was different, and plenty was the same. We discuss Biden post-midterms, the inept Republican response, and do a little spitballing about the future. PLUS: a cancelled movie star who might stay cancelled, and a surprising return to the Beatty Tracyverse.

Terrence Malick perfected his now-signature style with his rapturously beautiful second film, DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978). We discuss the film's depiction of hardscrabble American life in the early 20th century, and Malick's holistic view of humanity and nature. PLUS: an alarming update on the state of Canadian media, and the U.S. Congress condemnation of socialism.

"On Earth as It Is in Heaven" by Adrian Martin - https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/555-days-of-heaven-on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven

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

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/400-amityville-78332944

We've reached episode #400, and we're celebrating this auspicious anniversary by revisiting some of our favorite topics. First, we create the definitive canon of the most important movies we've discussed on the show. Then, we stare into the heart of darkness by watching Shawn C. "Coolduder" Phillips' directorial effort AMITYVILLE KAREN (2022), a no-budget horror film that attempts to cash in on the "Karen" phenomenon.

A key moment in the evolution of the modern blockbuster, JURASSIC WORLD (2015) is a cynical reboot about cynical reboots. We discuss what this enormously popular movie says about the world that spawned it, as well as its very peculiar sexist streak you may have noticed. PLUS: Why is Canada's conservative movement so Americanized?