Michael and Us

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/47190155

At the height of his fame, Steven Seagal directed and starred in his passion project: ON DEADLY GROUND (1994), a big-budget action movie about saving the environment and bringing down Big Oil. This legendary disaster is the ultimate Seagal film. Come join us as we have some fun hitting the low-hanging piñata that is the Mojo Priest. PLUS: the ominous Proposition 22 - where it came from, and what it represents.

The story of two men competing for the world Donkey Kong championship becomes a metaphor for so much in society, from celebrity culture to institutional power. We revisit THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS (2007) and celebrate two universal archetypes: Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell. PLUS: fiery hot takes on the Golden Globes, the Democrats' impending midterm strategy, and the lingering discourse on the Bernie mittens meme.

"PIXEL BURN - A King, Konquered: The Fall of Billy Mitchell" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNLqrOqUtEM&ab_channel=Bitscreed

PATREON EXCLUSIVE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/interview-exit-w-47079354

We all got a kick out of watching the Redditors beat the hedge funds. But can finance be democratized within the framework of capitalism? That answer may not surprise you! Luke talks to Edward Ongweso Jr., a labor and technology reporter at Motherboard and cohost of the This Machine Kills podcast, about the Robinhood trading app and the implications of l'affaire Gamestop.

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46893915

The Superdelegates have voted and forced us to watch Jerry Seinfeld's Netflix show COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE. Jerry and a range of ultra-rich showbiz pals (from Ricky Gervais to Bill Maher to Ellen Degeneres to... uh, Barack Obama) go for a spin, roast a brew, and engage in lighthearted chatter that will have you asking if America's most beloved sitcom star might actually be a sociopath. PLUS: thoughts on QAnon, "the Year of the Mod," and the sad return of America's most venerable media brand.

PATREON BONUS - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46829970

What is QAnon? Where did it come from? And where does it go now that "the Storm" didn't happen? Luke talks to Daily Beast reporter and QAnon expert Will Sommer about this most ridiculous of Trump-era phenomena.

Between the collapse of the Soviet Union and the War on Terror, James Bond went on a mission to find... relevance. We watched GOLDENEYE (1995), the first end-of-history Bond film, to find how 007 fit into the New World Order. PLUS: reflections on the inauguration, Canada's wacky system of governance, and the passing of Larry King.

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46613211

In 2014, Arthur Chu launched a winning streak on Jeopardy that made him one of the show's most famous (and hated) contestants. He then worked to parlay his newfound celebrity into a career as a writer/speaker on politics and nerd culture. There's a very good chance you are blocked by him on Twitter. We were joined our old pal Alex Ross to watch the surprisingly depressing documentary WHO IS ARTHUR CHU? (2017), discover where it all went wrong for Arthur, and diagnose a root problem in liberal online discourse. PLUS: thoughts on Joe Biden's inauguration and Bernie Sanders' coat/mittens.

After the upheaval of 1968, Jean-Luc Godard said goodbye to commercial cinema to create a new kind of radical Marxist filmmaking. With TOUT VA BIEN (1972), Godard and his filmmaking partner Jean-Pierre Gorin tried to meet the audience halfway. Taking place in a moment when the student protests, the French New Wave, and even Godard's own militant phase were receding from view, this fascinating Brechtian exercise starring Jane Fonda and Yves Montand may or may not have room for optimism. PLUS: bold predictions about the incoming Biden administration, and the politics of another cinematic legend: James Bond.

Check out our Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

PATREON EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/46305967

When Toronto mayor Rob Ford was at his lowest ebb, one reporter remained his loyal stenographer. When a BBQ restaurant owner was arrested for disobeying COVID regulations, one reporter called him a freedom fighter. When Billy Ray Cyrus was conquering the charts, one reporter stood up for him against imagined enemies. The City of Toronto has lived with buffoonish reporter Joe Warmington, and now you will too. PLUS: memories of the Rob Ford years, Ben Shapiro in Politico, and why season two of The Wire is good, actually.

Martin Scorsese's new Netflix documentary PRETEND IT'S A CITY (2021) is nothing more or less than a series of jokes and riffs by former writer and current professional curmudgeon Fran Lebowitz. We take a dive into this New York institution and discover what happens when a legendary wit is sorely lacking a worldview. PLUS: new lockdown restrictions, what happens to politics and the media post-Trump, and Marvel vs. 1950s America.

"Pretend It's an Insight" by Will Sloan - https://willsloanesq.wordpress.com/2021/01/10/pretend-its-an-insight/