Midday Movies

Today we are talking about modern masterpiece and comedy mockumentary series, “What We Do In The Shadows” (2019-present). Based on the 2014 Taika Waititi film of the same name and created for television by Jermaine Clement, “What We Do On The Shadows” (FX/Hulu) follows the day-to-day happenings of three traditional vampires (Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Kayvan Novak), their familiar (Harvey Guillen), and one energy vampire (Mark Proksch). Subverting its audience’s expectations for these supernatural creatures and featuring a carousel of delightful movie monsters as guest stars, “What We Do In The Shadows” is now entering its sixth and final season after establishing itself as a modern masterpiece. Emmy-winning and available to stream on Hulu, this series is a festive and not-at-all scary choice for your Halloween viewing. Let’s get into it!

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Today we’re evaluating expert networking tips from Google’s AI assistant, Gemini. Crowdsourced from a slew of internet articles, we’re using our in-house networking expert to assess the value and specificity of Gemini’s generative AI output. If you’re a jobseeker in this new AI-heavy recruiting market, we believe you’ll find help (and humor!) from this list of 9 networking recommendations. Stephen also shares his #1 street-smarts acquired networking tip, so let’s get into it!

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Today we’re reviewing the recently-released Dreamworks children’s animated film, “The Wild Robot” (2024). Adapted from a book of the same name by Peter Brown, this film is written and directed by Chris Sanders, the screenwriter who brought you “Mulan”, “Lilo & Stitch”, and “How to Train Your Dragon.” This film follows an intelligent helper robot, Roz, who shipwrecks on an uninhabited (by humans) island full of hostile wildlife and must care for an orphaned baby goose — an experience that ultimately teaches her about family and primal emotion. Employing a cast of phenomenal voice actors like Lupita N’yongo, Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O’Hara, this beautifully animated sci-fi survival film will have you good-crying for about 90 of its 102-minute run time. Let’s get into it!

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Today we’re discussing the new Netflix #1 streaming series, “Nobody Wants This” (2024). Created by Erin Foster and starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an agnostic relationship podcaster and an unconventionally cool Reform Rabbi who fall in love. Flanked by neurotic family dynamics and competing career concerns, the protagonist couple manages to have the hottest, funniest, and most authentically romantic chemistry I’ve seen in a romcom in a decade. Currently boasting a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and trending on Google, “Nobody Wants This” appears to be something everyone wants. Let’s get into it!

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Today we’re discussing the top Netflix streaming series, “The Three-Body Problem” (2024). This is the first English-language adaptation of the Chinese book series, “Remembrances of Earth’s Past” and was created by former “Game of Thrones” showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (as well as Alexander Woo). Taking us from the violent Cultural Revolution in 20th-century China to an imminent catastrophe in physics in contemporary England, this smart series orbits around questions of science, god, and…aliens? Brilliantly constructed, capably acted (featuring Jovan Adepo, Liam Cunningham, Eliza Gonzalez, Jess Hong, Benedict Wong, Marlo Kelly, and Jonathan Pryce), and with layered mysteries at its center, this Netflix series is brain-ticklingly bingeable. Let’s get into it!

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Today we’re discussing the critically acclaimed roguelike video game, “Cult of the Lamb.” Developed by Massive Monster and rated 10/10 on Steam, this hugely popular crusade and city-builder just released a couch co-op expansion called, “ Unholy Alliance” (2024). With cutesy visuals of woodland animals and an addictive gameplay loop that necessitates combat, resource gathering, and faith-building, “Cult of the Lamb” is an engrossing roguelike game that you can now play with your family and friends. The plot centers on building a cult following under the patronage of a mysterious chained god and eliminating the Bishops of the violent Old Faith but you’ll be focused on personalizing your religion (for good or evil) and getting as many dungeon buffs as possible. Let’s get into it!

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Today we're sharing our reflections on the newly-released horror remake, "Speak No Evil" (2024). Based on a 2022 Danish film of the same name and written and directed by James Watkins, this thriller stars James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis as members of two small families that meet on holiday and form a vacation friendship. When one family invites the other to their isolated countryside home, cracks appear in the pleasant veneer of the hosts in a way that portends very real danger. Touching on complex couples' dynamics, performative politeness, and the allure of toxic masculinity, this film boasts incredible performances by both its adult and child stars (including Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler, and Dan Hough). Twisty and twisted, this film diverges sharply from the Danish original and creates something wholly new for American audiences. Let's get into it!

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Today we're discussing the Cannes award-winning horror film, "The Substance" (2024). Written and directed by French auteur Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore as a fading Hollywood celebrity keen to recapture her sparkle, this horror parable centers around a black market procedure that can produce a younger, better, more perfect you in 7-day cycles. What results is a war of attrition between two selves (the other played by Margaret Qualley) that embody the same vices while brutally lampooning the Hollywood-style beauty culture that fails to prize anything but youth and a narrow archetype of appeal (this idea embodied in the character of Dennis Quaid). Thinky, gorey, and darkly comic, this festival award darling will haunt you long after the credits roll. Let's get into it!

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Today we're reviewing the recently-released Norwegian limited series, "Billionaire Island." From the showrunners who brought you literally the first Netflix original series ("Lilyhammer" by Anna Bjornstad and Elif Skodvin), this 6-episode series chronicles the cutthroat corporate intrigue of a hostile takeover of one salmon billionaire's family business by ANOTHER salmon billionaire family business. Featured is an incredible, modern female CEO (played by Trine Wiggen) and her family versus a traditional, old-fashioned male CEO (played by Svein Roger Karlsen) who used to be her boss. Gems of folk culture alongside rapidly-modernizing social movements flesh out a world with hilariously idiosyncratic characters and hostile corporate plots. It's "Succession" with salmon. Pick a side to root for and let's get into it!

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Today we're sharing methods of coping with anxiety, whether it is a chronic issue or an acute event. Everyone has experience with anxiety, and overcoming it is essential to your quality of life. With the help of redditors, counsellors, and insights from our own mental health journeys, we're talking mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, lifestyle interventions, and more. If you're experiencing anxiety -- acutely or chronically -- this episode is the one for you. Let's get into it!