Mission 250 Podcast

This week, we are continuing the "bonus episode" director deep dive. With the film The Banshees of Inisherin on the horizon, we're going on a kick of the playwright turned director Martin McDonagh's movies. The list may be small, but he is one of the best writer/directors working today. This week, we are doing his first feature length film, In Bruges (2008).

Its 2023! There's nothing that says New Years Day like a film based on looking into the past. Currently, this movie has moved up to #30 on the IMDB Top 250 since we froze the list back in 2016, which speaks to how well this movie holds up over time. Back to the Future (1985), directed by Robert Zemeckis.

We're taking a break for the holidays for travel and family. We will return in 2023!

This week, we are starting a "bonus episode" director deep dive. With the film The Banshees of Inisherin on the horizon, we're going on a kick of the playwright turned director Martin McDonagh's movies. The list may be small, but he is one of the best writer/directors working today. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), directed by Martin McDonagh.

This week, we're back to the list! One of the most recent entries on top higher end of the top 250, we encourage everyone who hasn't seen this film to do so without reading too much about it. Whiplash (2014), directed by Damien Chazelle.

Happy Halloween everyone! Our October scary movie marathon concludes with prolific writer/director Jorden Peele's third movie (he's been cranking out a successful movie about every 2 years). There's a lot to love in this film, though we're of mixed opinions on the extent to which it comes together as whole. Nope (2022), directed and written by Jordan Peele.

Week three of the October scary movie marathon! This week, we're watching a film that bites heads and bleeds 80's style. Equal parts comedy and horror, with some small town teen drama thrown in, this movie holds up great among other 80's horror classics. The Lost Boys (1987), directed by Joel Schumacher.

Week two of the October scary movie marathon! This week, we're watching the film that took the age old haunted house story and located the house in the middle of suburban American. Scares and/or laughs at around every corner. Poltergeist (1982), directed by Tobe Hooper (and Steven Spielberg).

It's October, and since last years scary movie marathon was so much fun, we're bringing it back! This year, we're kicking off Halloween month with a particularly dark movie. This film impresses not only as horror, but also as a directorial debut, an acting showpiece, and a "tone poem" (TC gets credit for that one). The Witch (2015), directed by Robert Eggers.

This week, we watch the film that allowed Stanley Kubrick full creative control over all his subsequent projects. This film was out of his control, however, and he later tried to disassociate himself from it. Structured as one half war epic and the other half sappy romance, Kirk Douglases chin might not be enough to save this one. Spartacus (1960), directed by Stanley Kubrick.