Midday Movies

Today we're talking about the Netflix top-streaming miniseries, "The Perfect Couple" (2024). Adapted from a book of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand and brought to the screen by Jenna Lamia and Susanne Bier, this limited series stars Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, and Dakota Fanning. Taking place on idyllic Nantucket Island, this gripping murder-mystery involves a lavish wedding that is over before it begins when a body washes up on the beach and everyone present becomes a suspect. With standout performances by Meghann Fahy and Donna Lynne Champlin, this 6-episode miniseries reveals the cracks in the Winbury family's enviably perfect facade and asks questions that have the power to destroy lives. It's a whodunnit with a cast of who's-who, so let's get into it!

Today we're discussing Ryan Holiday's 2019 book, "Stillness is the Key." A companion book to "The Obstacle is the Way" (2014) and "Ego is the Enemy" (2016, covered on episode 153), this self-development book valorizes the benefits of rest, contemplation, and maintaining your sanity in a consumingly-demanding world. Do you feel that you're never doing enough? Do you push through even when you're burning out? Have you accepted Buddhism and Stoicism as helpful philosophical counterpoints to modern hyperproductivity? Then stillness might be for you -- let's get into it!

Today we're discussing the newest addition to the Alien franchise, "Alien: Romulus" (Scott Free Productions, 2024). Written and directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez, who directed the iconic 2016 horror film, "Don't Breathe," "Alien: Romulus" follows the journey of five indentured teen workers (Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu) on a Weyland Corp mining colony who are desperate to escape to a planet with sunlight. Their supposed salvation is aboard a derelict space station called Renaissance, where (unbeknownst to the kids) xenomorphs have taken hold. Incredible scripting, performances (particularly David Jonsson), and sci-fi elements define this newest Alien -- which, as always, pits the hopes of humanity against the calculating logic of an intergalactic corporate empire. Let's get into it!

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Today we're discussing the blockbuster film of the fall, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024). Directed by Tim Burton and staffed by returning film icons Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara, this new Beetlejuice film follows the myriad dramas of both its living and death characters -- containing weddings, funerals, and reconciliations beyond the grave. Additional cast members include Jenna Ortega ("Wednesday"), Justin Theroux ("The Leftovers"), Willem Dafoe ("Poor Things"), Monica Bellucci ("Malena"), and Arthur Conti ("House of the Dragon"). With behind-the-scenes talent like Danny Elfman (music), Colleen Atwood (costumes), and Mark Scrunton (production design), this sequel is one of the most visually memorable films of the year. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has been 35 years in the making, so let's get into it!

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Today we're discussing the new Top 10 Netflix streaming show, "Kaos" (2024). Created by Charlie Covell and starring Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, this limited series is a contemporary retelling of Ancient Greek mythology that is darkly comic and epic in scale. Winding between the jealous gods of Olympus, the apartheid state of Minoan Crete/Krete, and the grey bureaucracy of the Underworld, this is the story of how three unwitting humans may bring about a catastrophic ancient prophecy. It's got Zeus (Goldblum), Hera (Janet McTeer), Poseidon (Cliff Curtis), Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), Orpheus (Killian Scott) and Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau), the Fates, the Furies, and anything else a Classics scholar could dream of -- let's get into it!

Today we're doing a spoiler-free review of the mind-bending indie horror film, "Strange Darling" (2024). Winner of the Jury Prize for Best Feature Film (2024 Popcorn Frights Film Festival), written and directed by J.T. Mollner and starring Willa Fitzgerald ("Fall of the House of Usher") and Kyle Gallner ("Smile"), this indie darling premiered last year at Fantastic Fest and hung out for months in distribution limbo because no one could figure out how to market the movie without spoiling its twists. And boy is it twisty -- a cat-and-mouse thriller told out of sequence in bewitching red and blue colors and constantly shifting dynamics. With riveting one-on-one scenes and a storyline that changes chapter-by-chapter, horror fans (and romance fans, I'd say) simply MUST catch this film in theatrical release or on streaming. Let's get into it!

Today we're talking about the 2020 megahit video game, "Hades" (produced by Supergiant Games). A roguelike hack-and-slash game taking place in the Ancient Greek underworld, you play as Hades' son Zagreus ("Zac"), the prince of the underworld, in a seemingly-impossible quest to fight through the afterlife, back to earth, to be reunited with his birth mother, Persephone. Featuring Olympians, Titans, demigods, and ancient heroes, Hades is a beautifully designed and written game that will offer a Chthonic challenge even to seasoned players. Stephen has spent fifteen hours on it over the last four days, so let's get into it!

Today we're reviewing and analyzing Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, "Blink Twice" (2024). A psychological thriller taking place largely on a tech billionaire's (played by Channing Tatum) private island paradise, "Blink Twice" is informed by centuries of Greek mythology, themes of trauma and memory, and a delicious twist ending that will leave your jaw on the floor. The film is fleshed out by great performances by many new actors (Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Liz Caribel, Trew Mullen, and Levon Hawke) and some old favorites like Geena Davis, Christian Slater, and Haley Joel Osment. Witty, high concept, and with sharp commentarial bite, "Blink Twice" is a visually gorgeous thriller that's worth more than one watch. Here we share highlights and historical influences -- let's get into it!

Today we're tackling season 2 of the 2010's cult classic, "Fleabag" (created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Widely considered the best season of "Fleabag," and still starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and company, series two follows our protagonist getting her life together after the grief-fueled antics of series one. To the backdrop of her sister's (Sian Clifford) professional successes and her father's (Bill Paterson) imminent wedding to an antagonist godmother (Olivia Colman), Fleabag is dismantling her coping mechanisms, bettering her behavior, and falling in love. Religious faith, connection, grief, and restoration are all huge themes in a work that hosts some of the best scenes I've seen on television. Plus, Andrew Scott plays a priest beset by foxes -- and very real human foibles. It's transcendent. Let's get into it!

Today we're discussing Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington's goal-setting system, "The 12 Week Year." Aimed at encouraging consistent execution on your annual goals, this system reduces a 12-month year to just 3 months -- dialing up the time pressure, necessity of commitment, and utility of accountability buddies. Simple, non-cult-y, and iterative, Stephen is 4 weeks into his 12 week year and has already lost 8 pounds. Very impressive. If that sounds like something useful to you, pull up a seat, and let's get into it!

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