Ne Zha 2 is the fifth highest grossing film of all time worldwide, so why hasn't anyone in the US really seen or heard about it? We talk about the awful, no good animated film Foodfight! (2012) first, followed by our guessing game for related screenings, then get into Investiture of the Gods, Ne Zha 1 from 2019 and Ne Zha 2 released earlier this year in China and subbed in the US and most recently dubbed in English for another release that has landed with a thud stateside. Our follow up episode tomorrow will get into both spoilers for Ne Zha 2 and a discussion on why it has not found success in the United States and the cultural war between these two regions.

Works Cited

• Avengers: Endgame (Russo Brothers, 2019)
• The Battle at Lake Changjin (Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark, Dante Lam, 2021)
• Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023)
• Beowulf (Robert Zemeckis, 2007)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science, 2024)
• The Boy and the Heron (Hiyao Miyazaki, 2023)
• 'The Boy and the Heron' review (Sam B., 2023)
• The Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force (Wuershan, 2025)
• The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
• Doctor Strange (Scott Derrickson, 2016)
• Detective Chinatown 3 (Chen Sicheng, 2021)
• Foodfight! (Lawrence Kasanoff, 2012)
• 'Foodfight!' review (Devan Scott, 2025)
• Full River Red (Zhang Yimou, 2023)
• Genshin Impact (MiHoYo, 2020)
• Hi, Mom (Jia Ling, 2021)
• Hollywood Searches For 'Pot Of Gold' In China : NPR (Renee Montagne and Kim Masters, 2013)
• Homefront (Kaos Games, 2011)
• Gamasutra - Features - Kaos Descends: How Homefront's Developer Met its End (Leigh Alexander, 2012)
• Homefront: Invasion Media, Justified Violence, Images with No Substance (Steven Santana, 2023)
• Light of Motiram (Tencent, 2025)
• How China's Soft Power is Rewriting Asian Culture (Brabim Karki, 2025)
• The Investiture of the Gods (Xu Zhonglin, circa 16th century)
• Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008)
• Iron Man 3 (Shane Black, 2013)
• Journey to the West (Wu Cheng'en, circa 1592)
• Journey to the West (Steven Chow, Derek Kwok, 2013)
• The Karate Kid (Harald Zwart, 2010)
• Kingdom of Loathing (Asymmetric Publications, 2003)
• Looper (Rian Johnson, 2012)
• Ne Zha (Jiaozi, 2019)
• Ne Zha 2 (Jiaozi, 2025)
• "Ne Zha: China's Symbol of Rebellion" (Accented Cinema, 2025)
• Nazha Conquers the Dragon King (Wang Shuchen, Yan Ding Xian, Xu Jingda, 1980)
• Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023)
• The Polar Express (Robert Zemeckis, 2004)
• "ROTTEN: Behind the Foodfight" (Ok so…, 2024)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Gore Verbinski, 2007)
• Red Dawn (Dan Bradley, 2012)
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Luo Guanzhong, 14th century)
• Soleimani Death: Spider-Man, SpongeBob Only US Heroes, Iran Cleric Says - Business Insider (Sahar Esfandiari, 2020)
• Spider-Man: No Way Home (Jon Watts, 2021)
• The State of Video Gaming in 2025, p.77 (Matthew Ball, 2025)
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, 2024)
• 3 Body Problem (David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Alexander Woo, 2024)
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (Michael Bay, 2014)
• Total Recall (Len Wiseman, 2012)
• The Wandering Earth (Frant Gwo, 2019)
• The Wandering Earth 2 (Frant Gwo, 2023)
• The Unholy Truth Behind 'Black Myth: Wukong's Massive Sales and False Hype (Shannon Liao, 2024)
• Water Gate Bridge (Dante Lam, Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark, 2022)
• What Is 'Ne Zha 2'? How It Became the Biggest Animated Movie Ever (David Opie, 2025)
• Yolo (Jia Ling, 2024)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

This is our spoiler filled section for not only Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest but also the original Akira Kurosawa film High and Low. We talk about pretty much everything that happens in the second half of both films, what we liked and did not like about how each film handles the same overarching scenario and how they differ in execution.

Next week we will be discussing Ne Zha 2 the Chinese animated fantasy adventure comedy film written and directed by Jiaozi, as well as the original Ne Zha.

Works Cited

• "Akira Kurosawa: Composing Movement" (Every Frame a Painting, 2015)
• At the Movies (Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, 1986-2010)
• Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004)
• Collateral Letterboxd review (esther, 2015)
• Django (Sergio Corbucci, 1966)
• Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989)
• A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North, 2004)
• Heat (Michael Mann, 1995)
• High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
• "High and Low (1963) - Modern trailer" (TheBurningArchive, 2024)
• "Highest 2 Lowest" (Aiyana-Lee, 2025)
• Highest 2 Lowest (Spike Lee, 2025)
• "Ice Spice's Highest 2 Lowest Cameo, Explained" (Brandon Zachary, 2025)
• Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike, 2001)
• Inside Man (Spike Lee, 2006)
• Kill Bill (Quentin Tarantino, 2003, 2004)
• "Meet Aiyana-Lee, the Breakout Singer From Highest 2 Lowest" (Barry Levitt, 2025)
• Miami Vice (Michael Mann, 2006)
• Oldboy (Park Chan-Wook, 2003)
• Oldboy (Spike Lee, 2013)
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Robert Rodriguez, 2003)
• Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)
• "Prisencolinensinainciusol" (Adriano Celentano, 1973)
• "Prisencolin (Americano Joint)" (Aiyana-Lee, 2025)
• "The reasons behind Adriano Celentano's songs in Highest 2 Lowest" (OnePress TV, 2025)
• "Spike Lee Made an Ad for Cryptocurrency ATMs and It's Bizarre" (Edward Ongweso, Jr., 2021)
• Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949)
• Sukiyaki Western Django (Takashi Miike, 2007)
• Thief (Michael Mann, 1981)
• Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa, 1957)
• "Trunks" (A$AP Rocky, 2025)
• Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu, 1953)
• Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

In this non-spoiler episode we discuss both Spike Lee's latest joint Highest 2 Lowest which sees the famed director reteaming with Denzel Washington in a reinterpretation of the classic Akira Kurosawa film from 1963: High and Low. We discuss the first half of both films, their differences and similarities in focus and execution of the same premise (taken from the novel King's Ransom: An 87th Precinct Mystery is a novel by Evan Hunter).

Tomorrow (Friday, August 29) we will premiere the spoiler section of our show and announce the next film we will be watching.

Works Cited

• "Akira Kurosawa: Composing Movement" (Every Frame a Painting, 2015)
• At the Movies (Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, 1986-2010)
• Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004)
• Collateral Letterboxd review (esther, 2015)
• Django (Sergio Corbucci, 1966)
• Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989)
• A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North, 2004)
• Heat (Michael Mann, 1995)
• High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
• "High and Low (1963) - Modern trailer" (TheBurningArchive, 2024)
• "Highest 2 Lowest" (Aiyana-Lee, 2025)
• Highest 2 Lowest (Spike Lee, 2025)
• "Ice Spice's Highest 2 Lowest Cameo, Explained" (Brandon Zachary, 2025)
• Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike, 2001)
• Inside Man (Spike Lee, 2006)
• Kill Bill (Quentin Tarantino, 2003, 2004)
• "Meet Aiyana-Lee, the Breakout Singer From Highest 2 Lowest" (Barry Levitt, 2025)
• Miami Vice (Michael Mann, 2006)
• Oldboy (Park Chan-Wook, 2003)
• Oldboy (Spike Lee, 2013)
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Robert Rodriguez, 2003)
• Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)
• "Prisencolinensinainciusol" (Adriano Celentano, 1973)
• "Prisencolin (Americano Joint)" (Aiyana-Lee, 2025)
• "The reasons behind Adriano Celentano's songs in Highest 2 Lowest" (OnePress TV, 2025)
• "Spike Lee Made an Ad for Cryptocurrency ATMs and It's Bizarre" (Edward Ongweso, Jr., 2021)
• Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949)
• Sukiyaki Western Django (Takashi Miike, 2007)
• Thief (Michael Mann, 1981)
• Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa, 1957)
• "Trunks" (A$AP Rocky, 2025)
• Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu, 1953)
• Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

In present-day Japan, a series of destructive offshore phenomena leads to the appearance of a unidentified giant lizard-like creature. The mysterious nature of the beast and the destruction it leaves in its wake causes political confusion and paralysis within the Japanese government. A task force is created to research the creature and solve the puzzle of an enigmatic chart left behind by Goro Maki, a disgraced, anti-nuclear zoology professor, that might hold the key to stopping the creature. This week we discuss Shin Godzilla from 2016 as it is being re-released in theaters due to a 4K remaster.

Next week we will be discussing Highest 2 Lowest the latest Spike Lee joint starring Denzel Washington and screenplay by Alan Fox.

Works Cited:

• 10 Cloverfield Lane (Dan Trachtenberg, 2016)
• At The Movies, Season 11, Episode 36 - Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, 1997)
• The Batman (Matt Reeves, 2022)
• Cloverfield (Matt Reeves, 2008)
• The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah, 2018)
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Matt Reeves, 2014)
• The End of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno, 1997)
• Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (Hideaki Anno, 2007)
• Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Hideaki Anno, 2009)
• Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Hideaki Anno, 2012)
• Gamera, the Giant Monster (Noriaki Yuasa, 1965)
• "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" (Roger Ebert, 1997)
• Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (Shusuke Kaneko, 1999)
• GAMERA1999 (Hideaki Anno, 1999)
• Godzilla (Ishirō Honda, 1954)
• Godzilla (Gareth Edwards, 2014)
• Godzilla Minus One (Takashi Yamazaki, 2023)
• Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (Ishirō Honda, 1964)
• "I WENT TO THE "ICE OUT OF LA" PROTEST" (Hasan Piker, 2025)
• Love & Pop (Hideaki Anno, 1998)
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, 1993-1995)
• Mystery Science Theater 3000, Season 3, Episode 2, Gamera (Joel Hodgeson, Frank Conniff, 1991)
• Shin Godzilla (Hideaki Anno, 2016)
• Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad (James Rowley, 1994-1995)
• War for the Planet of the Apes (Matt Reeves, 2017)
• Twin Peaks: The Return, "Part 8 - Gotta Light?" (David Lynch, 2017)
• The Guns of August (Barbara Tuchman, 1962)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

In this episode we both watched awful, terrible, no-good films as punishment for losing the guessing game last episode. We then get back to regular scheduling with guessing and talking about two related films to our main feature: The Naked Gun, directed by Akiva Schaffer as well as written by Schaffer, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and starring Liam Neeson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. who is pulled off a bank robbery case due to his excessive force and reassigned to a traffic suicide whose victim's sister, Pamela Anderson, insists was actually a murder. Danny Huston plays a tech billionaire who plans to use a plot device for an evil plan. Hijinks ensue.

Next week we will be discussing Shin Godzilla written and directed by Hideaki Anno and co-directed by Shinji Higuchi.

Works Cited:

• American Criminal (Dylan Bank, 2019)
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay, 2004)
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher, 2011)
• A Karate Christmas Miracle (Julie Kimmel, 2019)
• Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925)
• Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers (Akiva Schaffer, 2022)
• The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
• Deadpool (Tim Miller, 2016)
• Hard Boiled (John Woo, 1992)
• Heat (Michael Mann, 1995)
• Holmes & Watson (Etan Coen, 2018)
• Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)
• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Rian Johnson, 2022)
• The Lego Movie (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, 2014)
• Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2004)
• Life's Too Short, Season 1 Episode 1 (Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, 2011)
• "Michael Bay - What is Bayhem?" (Tony Zhou, Every Frame a Painting, 2014)
• A Minecraft Movie (Jared Hess, 2025) [about which Ben's more articulate thoughts can be found here.]
• The Naked Gun (Akiva Schaffer, 2025)
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (David Zucker, 1988)
• Police Story (Jackie Chan, 1985)
• Police Story 2 (Jackie Chan, 1988)
• Police Story 3: Supercop (Stanley Tong, 1992)
• Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping (Akiva Schaffer, 2016)
• The Snowman (Tomas Alfredson, 2017)
• Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
• Snatched (Jonathan Levine, 2017)
• Spaceballs (Mel Brooks, 1987)
• Spy Hard (Rick Friedberg, 1996)
• Step Brothers (Adam McKay, 2008)
• Taken (Pierre Morel, 2008)
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (Adam McKay, 2006)
• Top Secret! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, & Jerry Zucker and Martyn Burke, 1984)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson, 2011)
• The Untouchables (Brian De Palma, 1987)
• Venom (Ruben Fleischer, 2018)
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasden, 2007)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

In this episode we discuss Together, written and directed by Michael Shanks and starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple in a relationship currently going through troubled times that is only exacerbated by a supernatural effect that begins to forcibly push the two together with horrific outcomes. Spoilers begin at 1:03:00 and end at 1:22:38

Next week we will be discussing The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.

Works Cited:

• "I Want to Talk About "Elevated Horror"" (Mariana Colin, 2025)
• "Men (2022) - Movie Review" (Tim Brayton, 2022)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

In this episode we discuss Mark Anthony Green's musical thriller Opus (2025)! Starring Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Amber Midthunder, and some other people. First we guess at each others repertory film and discuss followed by our general thoughts on Opus with a spoiler section afterwards.

Next week we will be discussing Togther starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie.

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

In this episode we discuss Ari Aster's perplexing Covid provocation Eddington (2025)! First we guess at each others repertory film and discuss followed by our general thoughts/non spoilers conversation on Eddington before diving deep into the film.

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa

• Apple Podcasts: Mise en Screen - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts: Mise en Screen | Podcast on Spotify
• Player.fm: Mise En Screen podcast
• Podcast Addict: Mise en Screen - Podcast Addict

This is our very first episode in which we introduce the concept and origin of the podcast, pull up each other's Letterboxd to do a Q&A session, and answer film, theater, and other related rapid fire questions we came up with beforehand.

Our first real episode will be on Eddington (2025) directed, written, and produced by Ari Aster.

Films discussed/mentioned:

• Green Room (2015)
• Love, Antosha (2019)
• Rebel Ridge (2024)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Back to the Future (1985)
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
• Alien (1979)
• Alien Romulus (2024)
• Alien 3 (1992)
• Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
• Frank (2014)
• West Side Story (1961)
• West Side Story (2021)
• Shin Gozilla (2016)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Treasure Planet (2002)
• Bambi (1942)
• Lion King (1994)
• Queer (2024)
• Hook (1991)
• Jupiter Ascending (2015)
• Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
• The Blue Dhalia (1946)

Find us elsewhere!

Ben Verschoor

• https://cinema-purgatorio.ghost.io/
• https://letterboxd.com/jamn4sure/
• @benverschoor.bsky.social

Steven Santana

• https://breakingarrows.substack.com/
• https://letterboxd.com/number8axel/
• @number8axel.bsky.social‬

Opening music is Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel

Closing music is G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa